Final Fantasy VIII: Rise of the Tyrant
by Queen000
Summary: An empire of war offers peace by the hand of a Sorceress. But as the negotiations begin, the war mongering nature emerges, threatening all empires for all time. A lion's call may be the sole hope for a world on the edge of war... Part 1 in a 3 part series
1. Prologue: The Beginning

_Well, it was inevitable. I enjoyed the game so much and write a ton of stories in this fandom that I should know the game inside and out. And now it's time to prove it by writing my own novelization. It may or may not live up to standards considering we have Peptuck's version of events, but I feel as though there is enough thoughts on the game to warrent a second opinion. _

_Originally, I was planning on writing this novel as something to keep a record of for myself, but as most of my friends and family (I got my mom to read this monster who isn't into RPG type games AT ALL!) who have read this thing keep pestering me to post it online (and say that it's really that good), I figured why not. And who said there couldn't be a bit of variety._

_Before we jump on in, I'd first like to take the time to thank Peter J. Marcroft for all his help, encouragement and editing of these chapters. I'd also like to thank my mom, and my friends Shiva and JadeStrife for the very same thing, though Peter played the biggest role in the continued writing and documenting of this monster. Furthermore, I hope that those you choose to read it will enjoy it as much as they enjoyed Peptucks work._

_And now for the one and only disclaimer that will carry the weight of this story:_

_**Disclaimer**: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII, it's characters or it's plot. The original conceptions or opinions that are mentioned throughout this piece of work are based on the way I see things from my time of playing the video game._

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**Prologue:  
The Beginning**

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The calm and tranquil existence that had become forever present for the last seventeen years was about to be disrupted by a violent event, one of which could only compare to the nightmare that had been wrought upon the world by the ruthless tyrant ruler of Esthar. Just the thought of her still brought a shiver of terror to those who had survived it to this very day.

The sounds of the outside world were still and quiet, almost as though the creatures of the night were afraid to disturb what could almost be their final hour of peace. The sun had yet to arise from beneath the horizon and storm clouds were beginning to collect overtop the largest island known to the world as Balamb. The people living in the only town situated on the continent did not stir and were oblivious to what could have been seen as a bad omen.

However, no more than a mile away, one boy lay awake in his twin size bed, staring at the ceiling and unable to sleep despite his body's desire to do so. After a while of this, he rose to sit upon the surface of the diminutive piece of furniture and hung his legs over the edge, sighing as his gaze was redirected to the floor. Long strands of dark brown hair fell forward in a futile attempt the block his sights, though he cared very little of the disturbance, so lost in his thoughts. The youth was clad in his usual sleepwear, which consisted of a pair of dark coloured shorts and a grey men's tank top. Due to the mild temperature within the room, he did not feel the least bit chilled.

Finally bringing himself from his thoughts, he glanced over at the alarm clock sitting on his nightstand, and took note of the block like numbers which were glowing back at him with their reddish hue:

4:23.

Abandoning all thoughts of sleep – as he had done several hours ago – the teenager went back to thinking. He didn't care much for the activity at all, in fact loathing the idea of overanalyzing possibilities and questions, turning them round and round in his mind into a never ending loop. Yet, here he was, listening to those very thoughts that filled him with doubt and unease. The reason for this was the very topic he was concerning himself with, the one causing all of his problems and his current inability to sleep, was concerning a decision that would forever chart the rest of his life.

Unlike many people his age at the time, all he'd ever wanted in his life was to join the ranks of SeeD a mercenary for hire group who undertook missions around the world by those of whom could afford to pay their prices. Thinking about them that way was rather negative, but the group itself had an appeal that had drawn the youth to them ever since he was a child. The codename 'SeeD' came from an acronym that was long since forgotten, and the people who made up the force were the ones with the greatest ability, having trained long and hard within the military academy, Balamb Garden.

Balamb Garden itself wasn't just a military academy, but a school of learned that drew in many families with the opportunity of providing their children with the best education needed in order to advance in the real world. Many of the students who attended the Garden did so with the intention of leading prestigious lives in the careers of their choices. For them, it was not necessary for them to graduate from the academy, for even attending classes until senior year was adequate enough of a head start.

But those who chose to graduate from the Garden did so to become a member of this elite mercenary group. By graduating, they were permitted to remain at the Garden to assist faculty and instructors with the student populace. However, their ability to live there was also a matter of convenience, for they could be called upon whenever it was required of them to undertake a mission, taking them from their homes for a matter of weeks, months, even _years_.

For those who wished to graduate, there were three steps for them to undertake in order to prove themselves worthy of the feat. The first was a mandatory written examination to prove that they learned everything they could from their instructors. It was also mandated that in order to pass, the student must achieve a perfect score of 100 percent, for the slightest mistake in the field could result in failure or even the deaths of themselves and their teammates.

The second part of their final test would be a practical examination, where students who successfully passed the written exam were grouped into teams and expected to participate in a SeeD mission, usually with SeeD members to support and ensure the mission was completed. It was one thing to be able to recite the knowledge learned, but it was very different to be able to do so under fire and pressure.

But it was the step in-between that had him parked at the crossroads he currently stood at. Between the two parts of the examination, there was one more test that SeeD Candidates – considered as such due to the success of passing the written exam – had to undergo. The test of the Fire Cavern, where they had to venture within and complete the terms under specific time restraints. Aside from this test, students weren't authorized to enter the cavern, because it was fabled that a Guardian Force dwelled within. No one had even witnessed the sight of the Fire God, known as Ifrit, though it was supposedly undefeated and an extremely powerful foe.

And the youth had yet to undertake this task.

Normally, this would not be a problem, except the Field Exam was rumoured to take place later on in the day and, should he fail to complete this test, he would be stuck behind with the students who had failed the written exam, while everyone else went ahead as planned.

Of course, this was simply a rumour, but he was the kind of person who would rather be safe than be sorry. Having meant to accomplish this test weeks ago, he was stuck in the dilemma of questioning himself, which made no sense to him at all. He had worked very hard to get where he was today just to throw it all away because he suddenly had cold feet.

He knew it made no sense, but it still didn't alleviate the doubt in his mind.

Brushing the thoughts away, he made a mental note to go to the Fire Cavern before classes started. He had plenty of time, and he didn't think it would be too hard to find a SeeD support to accompany him. With that settled, his mind focused itself on an arrangement he'd made the previous evening. He was due somewhere and, despite it cutting into the time he would need to ensure his participation in the Field Exam, he knew he would never be able to walk away and not hear about it in the end.

He made arrangements with another student at the Garden – an obnoxious one at that – to meet outside of the Garden for a quick training exercise, also before classes started. It would have to be relatively quick, though he doubted the other party would really care for his reasoning.

Rising to his feet, he spotted the clothes he had set aside for the following day and quickly changed into them, having no trouble at all swapping his nightwear for a pair of black jeans and white t-shirt. The criss-crossing belts he wore that held the scabbard of his weapon were annoying to clasp together but years of practice proved this to be a minor inconvenience that took all of a few extra seconds to complete. His black boots were then done up and the chain he always wore around his neck was settled into place, the metallic lion's head gleaming in the dull light the sinking moon afforded him. Shrugging on his black leather beater jacket, he ignored the light tickle the fur rimmed collar gave him and pulled on his leather gloves over his hands, mindful of the metallic ring he wore on his right ring finger.

When he was finished dressing, grabbed a hold of the black case propped up against the wall next to his closet and with practiced ease carefully deposited it onto his bed spread. Eying the gold trim that decorated the lid, as well as the silver embroidery of a lion on a cross labelled 'sleeping lion heart' he unclasped the latches that kept the contents hidden and removed the lid from its place atop the box.

Reaching inside – again with practiced ease – he removed the weapon from the box, handling it with the care of an extremely treasured instrument. The gunblade was a revered weapon, and extremely rare, difficult to come across, let alone to master. Many had tried and there were a few reported individuals who had succeeded the feat, though they were usually ranged between middle aged and the elderly, having taken years out of their lives just for the privilege of being known as Gunblade Masters. They all would have cursed and sworn if they'd known that this boy – a few months shy of turning eighteen – could stand alongside them as their equal in this feat, having trained with it in the span of a few short years.

The gunblade the teenager held in his hands was that of an older model. The blade was very thick, as the handle was in the shape of an older styled revolver. Bullets were inserted by hand into the barrel, which could easily be pulled out if the wielder was especially careful. Even though it was easy to load, it was extremely difficult for the barrel to come loose on its own. Attached to the handle of the weapon was a chain carrying the same lion head symbol as the casing and on either side of the blade was an engraving of a full-bodied lion near the barrel.

With the ease that came with having mastered the weapon he held, he sheathed it into its scabbard before leaving his sleeping area and stepping out into the front half of the dorm. All cadets, regardless of whether or not they were training to become SeeD, were required to share a dorm with someone of the same gender. This was done to prevent sexual activity and accidental pregnancy. As such, people of the opposite gender were also not allowed to enter each other's dorm even in daylight hours, also as a preventative measure. However, once the student graduated, they would receive the perk of having their own personal dorm to call their own, though the rules about fraternizing were still the same.

Fortunately for the youth, he had no dorm-mate. His previous roommate had changed his mind about his endeavour of becoming a SeeD and had decided to pursue other interests. As it had already been later in the year when this decision had taken place, no other roommate had been assigned, leaving him the space to himself.

Heading past the counter, he opened the door leading out of the living quarters and crept into the hallway, mindful of the sounds he made. The lights were still out and the sun still had not risen, of which the teenager expected. It was a part of the rules that all students was expected to stay within their dorms until at least 0600 hours.

As the teenager made his way down the corridor and into the halls of the Garden, the teenager noted from the windows on either side of him that there were storm clouds beginning to form in the night sky. Scowling at the sight, he knew he would need to hurry if they were going to train in relatively comfortable weather.

Walking down the hallway as quickly and quietly as he could, he wondered past the parking lot, the Training Centre and library without much interference from the Garden Faculty, and that suited him just fine. Other than the dormitory and the Training Center, every section of the Garden was inaccessible and the Garden Faculty would act accordingly upon finding those who broke the rules.

However, prowling the hallways, as long as it was done quietly, was acceptable. It didn't mean he wanted to meet with the loathsome faculty. Even before he could remember, they had always labelled him as a 'problem child' along with one other student that he loathed being grouped with. They would simply look for an excuse to harass him and make it out that he was breaking a rule, or two, or ten.

The youth kept the handle of the gunblade hidden underneath his shirt as best as he could while passing them by. Fortunately for everyone involved, they appeared to be preoccupied with something though, and didn't even bother to look in his direction as he passed on by.

Turning the corner past the library, he picked up the pace, his shoes lightly tapping the marble floor as he headed away from the elevator behind him and closer to the turnstiles that would lead out of the Garden. He had no idea how he was going to get past the guard, because it was the guard's duty to prevent students from leaving the grounds while curfew was under effect.

Once again luck was on his side, because the guard who normally was stationed at the turnstiles – and was also a stickler for the rules – seemed to have stepped out briefly. It suited the student just fine as he easily jumped over the turnstiles and proceeded on his way. By the time he returned, chances were that the curfew would be lifted, so there was little issue with his getting back inside before classes began.

Stopping to take a chance glance behind him, in the event he had been followed by one of the Garden Faculty, he continued on his way from the Garden and towards the spot he was supposed to meet his sparring partner.

Although he knew it was against regulation to leave the Garden grounds during the earlier hours of the day, he was taking this opportunity to test out his training against the other labelled 'problem child'. For as long as they had known each other, Seifer Almasy had always revelled in causing trouble and instigating scrapes that the brunet, admittedly, could've walked away from. Unlike him though, Seifer also revelled in the attention that he would receive from said title. No, he would have rather had his wisdom teeth pulled again than to have anything to do with the title, because aside from the fights he got into with Seifer, he kept to himself and stayed out of trouble.

Unfortunately for him, whenever it came to Seifer, he would never walk away from a challenge.

He trekked away from guard station, heading towards the stairs and the fountain at an even pace. He knew that it would take longer if he continued at this pace, but he didn't want it to appear to Seifer as though he were actually eagerly anticipating this match. Like him, Seifer was also a master of the gunblade, though he was a year older and had more experience in combat than himself in the past. In all honesty, the youth wanted to test his skills against the elder teenager, who was probably the only one in the Garden who could afford him the type of challenge he needed to hone his own skills, despite how annoyingly cocking he was.

But this didn't mean that he was eager to fight him. It was just another crossroads in his life. He and Seifer were always in competition with one another, inevitably it would seem, and this meeting was no different.

Walking along the road that would eventually lead to Balamb Town, Squall kept his pace even. The road would take longer to reach the designated spot, but it would also grant him the advantage of spotting a monster attack before it could occur, due to the lack of foliage in the area. Sure, they could still hide within the grass nearby, but they would eventually have to jump out, and he would be ready to defend himself having noticed the sudden movement.

Predators mostly attacked their prey during the night, since it was darker and easier to hunt. However, this time it appeared as though the creatures were keeping their distance. It was as though they were wary of an upcoming threat. Monsters and other animals could always sense danger before humans could, and the warning signs would thus follow. One of those warnings signs happened to be the sudden disappearance of creatures that would normally thrive within the environment. The youth was immediately put on guard, resting one of his hands on the hilt of his weapon as he continued to journey towards his destination.

After a few more minutes of walking, he veered off the road and sped up the pace, continuing on the grass, and veering around the surrounding forests. SeeD cadets were never permitted to enter the forests unless they were accompanied by SeeD support. It was a common rule within the Garden and those who chose to break it were made examples to the rest of the students – through either disciplinary reinforcement or other means. He recalled one of the instructors in his earlier years at the Garden mentioning an incident where the student had been discovered half eaten, possibly by one of the stronger monsters within the area. It had scared most of his age group enough that this was one of the few rules that were never broken.

He kept his eyes open for any monsters that could attack him within the vicinity, Bite Bugs mostly. They were annoying but if he wasn't careful even they could pose a threat. Continuing the trek he couldn't help but wish he had a junction along with him. Cadets were regularly forced to sign out Guardian Forces if they intended to use them. Unfortunately, one of the reasons people believed the rumours of the impending field exam were the sudden strict accountability measure the faculty were using in regards to the GF's. In the past, this action had been done solely when a Field Exam was upcoming, and instructors would distribute them amongst the participating students. If the rumours really were true, then he would not be receiving his for another few hours at the least. Unfortunately, he would just have to be careful of his surroundings until then.

Finally, after a few more minutes of traveling on foot, he reached the area that he was supposed to be meeting Seifer. It was located near the mountains of the Balamb continent, overlooking the tranquil town below. The grass had long since died, not having been able to withstand the rigorous training exercises of which the students participated in, and all that remained now was barren rock and soil. No trees surrounded the area, which was probably why it was chosen in the first place. All that surrounded the miniature battlefield was a cliff edge and the nearby mountains.

In the centre of the battlefield stood another cadet, but this did not surprise the teenager at all. This boy was taller than him, reaching just a little over six feet in height, and his blonde hair cropped short for convenience. His grey-white trench coat swayed lightly in the pre-storm breeze, but the chill that came with it did little to make him cold wearing a blue muscle shirt and a pair of black pants and boots. The silver choker gleamed in the low-light, declaring its existence to all in much the manner that the blonde would normally. The sleeves of his jacket were marked by a red cross, matching the white cross that decorated his shirt.

"You took your fucking time getting here," Seifer Almasy retorted, folding his arms across his chest and cocking his head to the side, almost as though reprimanding him. "You kept me waiting."

"Let's get this over with," the teenager said, avoiding the remark. "I have things I need to do."

"Ah, yes, of course…" Seifer sneered almost thoughtfully as he unfolded his arms. That stare was still there, and it caused the youth the frown. "You haven't gone to the fire cavern yet, right? It'd be a real shame if you couldn't attend the Field Exam because of that small little issue."

The youth ignored him with some difficulty as he unsheathed his gunblade and discarded his scabbard after removing it from the loop of his belt as it would only get in the way. He tossed it to the side, clear of their area enough that it wouldn't get trampled on during their spar, but not too far out of sight that he couldn't see it.

"It's not like you to procrastinate," Seifer continued. Unlike the youth, he had yet to move for his own weapon, seemingly more interested in the youth's somewhat 'strange' actions. "Obviously something's happened. Care to share?"

"It's none of your business, Seifer."

"Don't you fucking give me that, Squall!" The blonde boy suddenly snapped. He seemed angrier at this fact than Squall should have been. "You gripe about how your goal is to become a SeeD and then you pull something like this. What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Can we just get this over with?" The teenager asked pointedly through a sigh as he opened the barrel of his weapon. He then proceeded to remove the unused shells from the chamber and added them to the bands wrapped around his right leg. "You're the one who wanted this duel, remember?"

Seifer scowled, almost torn between getting an answer and focusing on this spar. Finally, he shrugged away the inquisition, and Squall thought that maybe he was letting it go.

"On one new condition," Seifer declared and Squall almost groaned, fairly certain of what that condition was. "I win, you answer any question I have in mind."

Sighing in exasperation, Squall knew Seifer would use his condition to force the younger cadet to explain himself and he very nearly scoffed in disgust. It wasn't any of Seifer's business what he did or didn't do with his spare time, and it sure as hell wasn't his place to know the reason behind his procrastination. Seifer just felt he had the right to do whatever he wanted, and a lot of that time it was sticking his nose where it didn't belong.

Unfortunately, he also realized there was no way around it. Seifer was one of the most stubborn people he knew and if he refused the condition, the blonde cadet would surely stir up hell until he got his own way. And there was no time for him to put up with his bullshit.

"Whatever Seifer, have it your way, you always do." Squall responded in kind. Seifer smirked in response, though Squall wasn't done. "But when I win, you'll leave well enough alone, and mind your own damn business."

The smirk on Seifer's face grew and Squall knew his bait had worked. For as long as he could remember, Seifer seemed to bring out his most competitive aspects, not something he was proud to admit. But the opposite was also true, and on more than one occasion Seifer managed to say something that got under Squall's skin, and he had fallen for his bait more times than he'd prefer to admit.

"You seem pretty confident." Seifer snorted, unfolding his arms from across his chest. "Guess you learned something from me after all."

Squall snapped the barrel on his gunblade back in place before digging his gunblade into the dirt below, making sure his gloves were on tight enough, though the action was merely a means of providing Seifer the time he needed to get ready. While it would serve him right should the brunet initiate the spar right away, it meant a hollow victory for taking such underhanded means.

Seifer used this time wisely, because he withdrew his own gunblade, a model he had constructed himself having loathed the bulkier Revolver model Squall trained with. As such, the Hyperion was far lighter and could be easily wielded in one hand, leaving the other hand free for spell casting or other such things he would need a free hand for. The blade was black and sleeve, thinning out as it reached the very sharp tip and the handle was crafted from one of the more modern forms of guns, using a standard case of ammunition rather than individual bullets. This also accounted for the weapon's light weight, making it practically the better weapon of the two. In theory.

As soon as he had drawn it, Seifer held the Hyperion in front of him in a fencer stance, straight out and pointing at his opponent as he shifted from one foot to another. It was a haphazard stance that lacked defence, but the style that the blonde boy used easily made up for it with easy dexterity.

As soon as he realized Seifer was ready, Squall grabbed a hold of the hilt of the Revolver in his left hand before pulling it out from beneath the ground. Seifer merely stood at the ready, waiting for his opponent to make the first strike.

He was not disappointed. The teenager gripped the handle tightly with both hands and charged towards his opponent, the blade held down and leaning towards his left-hand side. Swinging up, he prepared to swing his weapon upward, but the Revolver was knocked aside by the Hyperion. Jumping backwards, he swung again, only to miss as Seifer took an almost leisurely step backwards.

Frowning, Squall backed away as well and belatedly realized his mistake as Seifer chose to switch to the offensive. In mid-charge, the elder teenager twisted his body around before striking upwards, though Squall was quick to prepare his defence, holding his weapon sideways and blocking the underhand attack, the clash of metal against metal reverberating throughout the clearing. Sneering, Seifer backed away slightly and spun on the spot, Hyperion raised for a horizontal cleave that Squall ducked. The action shifted into defensive when Squall attempted to strike the blonde along the midsection, which had been left unguarded in the strike. They continued the dance against one another, trying to hit their opponent with their respective blades, only managing to strike the other's weapon.

Finally, Seifer raised the Hyperion upwards and prepared to cleave the gunblade overhead, but his opponent flipped the Revolver sideways, holding the hilt with his right hand and the blade with his left, once again resulting in the Hyperion connecting with the side of the heavier blade. Squall then pushed the weapon upwards, trying to force Seifer off-balance and create an opening for him to attack.

Rather than be annoyed by the motion, Seifer nodded to himself before sneering at his training partner. "Didn't see that one coming. You're learning Squall, I'll give you that. But," Seifer removed his weapon from atop the Revolver and replaced it underneath, knocking the blade out of Squall's defensive stance and forcing the teenager off-balance. "You've still got a lot to learn if you wanna be a SeeD."

"You're a fine one to talk," Squall retorted as he dodged to the left to avoid the stab of the Hyperion as Seifer thrust it forward. The _whoosh _of slicing air was audible to their ears, proof positive of how lightweight the bladed weapon really was.

Squall jumped back as Seifer came in with another swipe, managing to raise the Revolver once more to block the third attack coming in from his right. Lowering the weapon, Seifer attempted an upward slash to once more unbalance his opponent, but Squall had learned from his earlier mistake and abandoned his defensive stance just in time. If he had not stepped back and away as he did, however, the Hyperion would have cut into his face instead of simply knocking his blade up.

Squall was forced back into the defensive as he dodged back again and again, forcing himself out of the line of fire as Seifer prepared to slash the Hyperion downward once again. Instead, the blade hit the ground, very narrowly having missed its intended target, giving Squall the opening he'd been waiting for. He raised his weapon and brought it into a downward cleave, only for Seifer to recover very narrowly and block the attack, clanking metal echoing about them once again.

Smirking, Seifer pushed Squall away from him and lunged forward, lowering his body to the ground before twisting upwards, raising his arm up and preparing to catch his opponent off guard. Squall quickly countered by sidestepping before he lunged forward, intending to hit the blonde youth, only to have Seifer lower the Hyperion, levelling it in front of his chest to block the attack.

Seifer pushed his opponent away from him, the expression of amusement having been wiped away with disgust. "Oh come on!" he shouted in annoyance as Squall stumbled to keep his footing. "Don't be so pathetic! I know you can do much better than this!"

Aggravated, Squall lunged forward once more, swinging his gunblade from right to left, and would have hit his opponent in the chest had Seifer not brought the Hyperion to block the strike once again. Seifer stifled a yawn at that, though what he didn't expect from Squall was for him to counter the block with another strike, this time coming from the left. He was able to block it once more, though he failed to maintain the air of boredom, the surprise radiating in his features. Encouraged, Squall pressed on with his attacks, forcing Seifer back and never allowing him an opportunity to take to the offensive. Each slash was quicker than the last, faster than what Seifer would have expected normally, but the arrogant fighter managed to back up and out of range of the brunet's most recent slash. Without giving Squall the chance to recover, Seifer slashed upward, preparing to cut into the younger cadet.

Squall dodged to the side, bringing the Revolver around again. This time, Seifer was already acting, having risen to his full height and bringing the Hyperion down on top of Squall. The youth aborted his attack, ducking the swipe and rolling to his left as Seifer's blade followed him, very narrowing scraping along the back of the beater jacket. Squall landed into a crouch and backed away once again as Seifer thrust forward with his weapon, not giving any leeway.

Jumping backwards didn't work out nearly as disadvantageous for the younger cadet as Seifer had probably hoped and Squall used the newly acquired distance to his advantage. Flipping the Revolver around in his left hand, he distributed the weight evenly so as to balance it without breaking his wrist and entered a charge, his right hand outstretched in an attempt to stave off an attack. He used the tactic hoping to put the other gunblade specialist off his guard and end the fight in his favour.

Unfortunately Seifer was not as unfamiliar with the attempt as Squall had thought. Recognizing the charge for what it was, Seifer simply stood waiting, the Hyperion's tip touching the stone floor beneath and for an instant Squall wondered why he wasn't bringing it up to guard as was expected. The thought was erased when the blonde cadet raised his free arm, and he caught sight of the first trendles of spark and flame dancing together in the palm of his outstretched hand, the reds and oranges mixing together to create a very unbalanced reaction.

Squall caught the motion and aborted the charge altogether, realizing he had very little time to act in his defence. There wasn't enough time for him to dodge, so he chose to adjust the grip of his weapon, position it in front of him in the hopes of protecting himself, just as Seifer unleashed the fire spell. The flames shot forward quicker than imaginable and hit the blade with full force, singing his shirt, and forcing his eyes closed against the heat.

The precision of the attack countered the momentum Squall had previously been moving at and forced the teenager backwards. He landed on his backside and cursed as he went to pick himself up off the ground. Opening his eyes, he squinted, knowing that the flames were dying down but still wanting to protect them, glaring at Seifer through slits as he did.

The next thing the young cadet knew, as he raised himself into kneeling position, Seifer's shadow descended upon him and forced his attention up. The Revolver was still in hand, and Squall readied himself in case he had to use it.

"_That_ is exactly how it should be," Seifer sneered, and with a sinking feeling, Squall realized the battle was done. "_You_, kneeling in the dirt as you bow down to the great Seifer Almasy. Even _if _you thought you could stand against me, you could never beat me in a real life fight and you know it. Still, it was a valiant effort, I'll give ya that."

The Hyperion's blade was then raised up and held level with Squall's face, who merely glared at the offending object as if it were standing in his way. Seifer chuckled lightly at the sight before tilting his head, his expression betraying his boredom. "Admit defeat already. I've already won this fight."

"Bite me, Seifer." Squall spat out, knowing that he would rather die than concede to Seifer. "You know damned well you're not allowed to use magic in a training match."

Seifer's smirk frowned and he appeared almost disappointed. He sighed in response, shaking his head as he did. "I would have thought you'd known better, Squall. The training rules don't apply in the real world. Do you honestly believe a _real_ life opponent is going to go easy on you just because you weren't allowed to use magic? Please. _That's _the difference between you and I, Squall."

The blonde cadet took a step back, never lowering his weapon as he moved. "It's that kind of attitude that _will_ get you killed. You'll _never_ be a SeeD if you're always thinking along the lines of breaking the rules, or being on fair ground. Maybe it's a good thing you haven't been to the fire cavern yet," he remarked almost thoughtfully and Squall's glare darkened in response. "_Maybe _you're just not ready to be a SeeD yet."

"Don't talk down to me like you know better," Squall snapped back heatedly. He made to rise up, but the subtle shift of the Hyperion forced him to pause. "You think you know me but you don't. And how would you know what it takes to be a SeeD, when this'll be your third attempt at the damned exam?"

Seifer's expression shifted from boredom to shock and Squall realized he had gone too far. He could've cared less, because he sure as hell wasn't about to sit there and let himself be lectured about being a SeeD by some _failure _who couldn't get it right on the first try.

But then, slowly, the shock dissolved and a cold fury Squall had never witnessed before seeped through the cracks of the blonde cadet's demeanour, twisting his features, making them ugly and terrifying. "Then I guess I'll have to make an example outta you!" Seifer shouted, and raised the Hyperion above his head.

Despite the shift in Seifer's features, Squall refused to allow Seifer to think he was scared of him. He knew the attack was a bluff, something to get him to flinch so that Seifer could carry on with his 'better than everyone' act. He knew this to be true, because not even Seifer was ruthless or relentless enough to follow through with the attack. Even he had his limits. Perhaps it was arrogance on his own part, but he remained as he was, refusing to so much as flinch, waiting for Seifer's swing to stop abruptly, right in front of his face before the badgering and the laughing took over.

But when the blade didn't stop its momentum, the first thoughts of doubt began to cloud through Squall's mind and his eyes widened in horror when he realized Seifer wasn't going to stop this time. Second later, a sharp pain ran through him just above his right eye as steel bit into flesh. Without thinking – how could he think – Squall inclined his head to his left, guiding the blade from its original path down his face, and forcing the pain to ebb across his nose and stopping just beneath his left eye.

With the movement he'd made, the Hyperion had been removed from his face and Squall was forced backwards, lying on his side atop of the stone ground and noting that a streak of blood (_my blood_) had stained its surface. More blood was dripping beneath him, running in rivulets across his face and falling from his down turned cheek. The cut he'd gotten burned in pain, and his breathing quickened. He was left stupefied that Seifer had actually followed through this time, that he really had gone as far as he had.

But then the elder cadet was laughing, and that very laugh boiled his blood, bringing forth an anger so hot white, one that he himself had never before experienced. It twisted his features into a rage as he forced himself up onto his feet, the blood running down the side of his face, over his lips and dripping down his chin onto his shirt. Barely able to restrain his anger, he stood glaring at his rival, his chest rising and fallowing in barely repressed rage as the blonde just continued to laugh at his expense.

"I meant to get your eye," Seifer was saying through bemused chuckling. "But that mark'll do."

"You _fucking_ asshole!" Squall shouted as he pushed him back a step. This only caused Seifer to laugh harder. "You could have killed me, you stupid fuck!"

"Hey, it's not _my_ fault you thought I was bluffing this time," Seifer sneered. The rage was still there behind the eyes, but he seemed to have consoled himself in having done what he had. The thought alone made Squall's blood boil even hotter. "If you didn't want me to follow through, you should've raised your gunblade. What good is the training you get if you don't even use it in a fight?"

Squall continued to glare at him, staring at him in disbelief even as the anger and rage he felt threatened to boil over. Seifer seemed oblivious, tilting his head to the side and smirking suddenly. "But you know, there is a bright side. Now whenever you look in the mirror, you can always think of me as your better."

And then he laughed loudly, a poisonous echoing noise that seemed to drown out the pounding between his ears. Whatever reserves of patience and training Squall had left finally broke and allowed the rage to take over, tinting his sights red with the sole intention of stopping that ridiculous laugh. "You think this is _funny_," he spat, his tone brooking on dangerous territory. Seifer just continued to laugh at his expense.

The brunet clenched his hands into fists before realizing he was still gripping the Revolver. Faster than he could register, he raised the weapon and gripped it in both hands , dropping into a crouch that forced his legs to spread, knees bent to distribute his weight evenly. By this point, Seifer had stopped laughing, but Squall could still hear it pounding in rhythm with his heartbeat. Without worrying about second thoughts or consequences, he slashed up before Seifer could form a proper defence, catching the blonde in the face right below his right eye. Purposely, Squall guided the gunblade in his hands as he carved a line across Seifer's nose and up above his left eye before ripping the blade out of the elder man's face, streaking more blood along the ground and along the front of his shirt.

He backed away slightly, marvelling at his own handy work as he inspected Seifer's features for a reaction. The blonde cadet stood there with a stark expression of disbelief before it boiled into a rage that the younger cadet still felt. Seifer raised a gloved hand to his forehead, as though confirming what had been done to him and, when it came away with blood, the rage boiled over and he was scowling darkly, blinking rapidly against the pain that he must've been feeling. "What the fuck was that?" he shouted in his fury.

"If you didn't want me to follow through," Squall said, throwing Seifer's words back at him and relishing every second of it, "then you should've…"

He didn't get to finish however, because the world swam in front of him suddenly, Seifer moving in a shimmering way that was most decidedly not normal. What was worse was he couldn't remember exactly what he was about to say, as a feeling of light-headedness was beginning to take over, making his thoughts muddled and confused. The grip he had on the Revolver slackened and he could faintly hear it clanking to the ground, but it was overtaken by the blood pounding in his ears. The laughing had stopped, but the pounding seemed to have increased into an unbearable pitch.

His legs suddenly felt like jelly, most definitely incapable of holding him up any longer and they finally gave out from beneath him. He slumped forward onto the ground, his gaze turning skyward as the world around him faded into black…

* * *

_I just wanted to add a quick thank you to another author on the site. I discovered another novelization written by _**Emerald Princess of Vernea**. _I mean no disrespect by this, but her novel reads more like a script format-turned paragraph format with next to no shift in dialogue, with the exception of her battle sequences (which I must say are really well done). It is because of her that I went through my own novelization and decided to touch up on some of the glaring bits that I could've done better. So thank you very much Emerald. Again, I mean no disrespect, seeing as how everyone's writing style is vastly different from others, but I just wanted to put it out there. Sorry if I offend anyone._


	2. Chapter I: Garden Day Life

**Edited: **_01/27/09_

**Edited: **_05/19/10 - Because ffnet decided to see fit and delete my line breaks, I have no other altnerative than to use their stupid ones. It'll mar the look I was going (which I found also made it easier to read but whatever) but sadly such is life._

* * *

**Chapter I:  
Garden-Day Life**

* * *

He could see light.

It wasn't the customary bright white light that most others would associate with the word, but a bright red and scathing colour, almost orange even. Given his injury, he had assumed he was as good as dead as he'd collapsed (though he couldn't recall why) and not seeing the so called 'white light at the end of the tunnel' made him wonder where everyone had gotten that saying from.

Despite it all though it only too him a few seconds to realize where the difference in colour was coming from. His eyes were closed.

It meant he was still alive.

He shifted position, noting that he was lying on a flat surface. This surface wasn't at all like the training ground outside of the Garden, which had rough patches and bits of stone that seemed to like to dig uncomfortably into places along the back. Instead, it was smooth, soft but firm, as though he were lying in a bed. He was still fully clothed, except his jacket was missing. He couldn't feel the fur of the collar tickling the back of his neck like it normally did and it made him wonder where had it been moved.

Something was wrapped tightly around his head and at first it didn't register why until he remembered the disastrous training session. He was surprised he was even still alive, but he was also thankful that the pounding between his ears had gone away.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, knowing that his surroundings were going to be bright, but winced anyway when the light hit them. A headache formed like it had crashed into him, which caused him wince, and he resisted the urge to put his hands in front of him to stave it off. Because of this, he instantly realized where he was, having been there a number of times before in the past. The white walls, the beds with matching spreads and green curtains cordoning each section into their own and given each patient a semblance of privacy, all of it screamed that he was currently residing in the Garden's Infirmary. He frowned, considering that he couldn't remember having made it back there to begin with.

He heard the click of shoes hitting linoleum and knew that the sound belonged to the head physician. Said physician was making her way towards him now. She was a plump woman who wore a white blouse and a dark coloured skirt beneath a white medical examiner's jacket. Her dark coloured hair was pulled back into a tight bun that pulled at her scalp and her sharp angled eyes seemingly glared at him from behind her glasses.

"So you're awake now," Dr. Kokoro Kadowaki said, the sound of her voice bordering on annoyance. Squall could hardly blame her, but that didn't necessarily mean he cared. He didn't want to be in the infirmary just as much as she didn't want to see him here. Maybe even more so. "How are you feeling?"

It was a stupid question, in Squall's less than humble opinion. His head was pounding, the light was making his headache worse, and he still felt dizzy – possibly from the blood loss. The bandage around his head did little to ease back the headache, which was forcing that troublesome pounding from before the return with a vengeance. It was a pain to even blink let alone focus on the pushy doctor.

But he wasn't going to tell her any of that. "I'm fine."

"Uh huh," Dr. Kadowaki spoke in a tone that suggested she didn't believe him. "How's your head feel?"

Squall scowled to himself, realizing that she'd seen through him. Again.

"That's what I thought," the doctor said in a matter-of-fact tone when he didn't offer an answer. She walked over to one of the cabinets and pulled out a small container. Closing the door behind her, she returned to his side, opened the container and handed him two pills. "Aspirin. The headache shouldn't last, but if it continues on come back and see me. It might be the result of the, uh… I _guess_ you could call it a battle wound."

Wordlessly, Squall popped the pills into his mouth and drank some water that the doctor offered him shortly after. He swallowed and felt the pills slide down his throat, knowing that the medicine wouldn't kick in for another few minutes or so. Still, it would help later, though presently he'd just have to bear through the pain.

He noted that, to his left, one of the curtains wasn't covering an area as well as usual. When he turned his attention in the direction, he saw the bed next to him was empty. Normally, this wouldn't seem abnormal but this time the sheets looked slightly ruffled, as though someone had been laying atop them for some time. It was unlike the normally neat way the beds were left when there were no patience and he frowned in contemplation as he took in the sight.

The doctor must have seen him notice this, because she broke the silence between then, sighing in exasperation. "Seifer was in here earlier. He's the reason you two got back, but he collapsed at the Front Gate. He got the attention of the guard at the front, who couldn't remember either of you leaving the grounds this morning."

The tone she used sharpened as she passed this fact. Squall refused to engage the conversation and simply listened when she resumed. "At any rate, he left a bit before you woke up."

_Yet another thing for him to gloat about_, Squall thought dismayed. It was the elder cadet's fault he was in here to begin with, but Squall wouldn't put it past Seifer to emphasis his act of 'generosity' by bringing him back. If the elder cadet expected gratitude, he was going to be sorely disappointed.

A few minutes later, Kadowaki had tested his vision, having him follow her finger with his eyes and shining a light in them to make sure they were focusing properly. Then, she'd told him to tell her his name and state the days in their correct order, checking to see if he'd received a concussion. He'd gone through these tests so often, he could accurately assume which test she would utilise next, but in the end, she sighed, seemingly satisfied with the results, jotting them down on the clipboard she was holding.

"You take it easy in training from now on," she said after she finished with her pen. It wasn't meant as a suggestion.

"Yeah, well," Squall said almost defensively, "tell _that_ to Seifer."

"Either way, you're both bone heads," she snapped irritably, as though he were partially responsible. He knew he was, but he still resented the treatment. "You _both _could've done yourselves in and it would'a served you right. You won't be so lucky next time."

Almost immediately after she'd finished talking, she threw one of her arms – the one that wasn't holding the clipboard – up into the air exasperatedly. "What am I saying? Neither one of you will listen to me anyway, especially not that Seifer. He's always running off, trying to cause more trouble than he's worth. You'd do yourself a favour by ignoring him. Hell, you'd see me less often if you did."

That was easier said than done. Walking away from Seifer was almost like teaching a T-Rexaur how to play Triple Triad. It was virtually impossible. Squall was almost certain he'd tried doing just that once, but it hadn't exactly worked out in his favour.

For as long as he could remember, he and Seifer had always gotten into trouble. In most of their scuffles, Seifer had been the instigator and even though he maybe could have walked away, Squall never actually did. It was just something about the elder boy that got under his skin. He'd never actually figured out what, but it was enough to know that it was there.

Dr. Kadowaki must have thought the same thing, or the expression on his face must have given it away, because she just sighed. "Hey, it's your choice. You want to play the 'cool guy' and not walk away, then we'll be seeing more of each other in the future."

With that, the doctor turned around and left the area, moving around a couple of tables and heading into her office, located off to the side and out of sight. Squall went to climb out of bed in preparation to leave, but he heard her snap from the other room, "Don't you dare leave that bed until I say you can."

Begrudgingly, Squall stopped what he was doing and allowed himself to fall backwards, his head hitting the pillow. He knew better than to go against what the doctor said. In the past when he'd been bolder about it, he'd slipped out of the infirmary to head to class and, halfway through a test, the irate doctor had stormed into the classroom and dragged him back downstairs, lecturing him along the way. He refused to have a repeat performance, if only to avoid being the talk of his classmates for the next month.

Squall winced slightly from the movement and he draped his arm across his eyes to block out the light. He gathered that Dr. Kadowaki was going to call someone to come get him, and wondered vaguely if Seifer had been awarded the same courtesy.

It was a little while later – Squall supposed he'd dosed off at some point – but he could feel someone watching him and, after a few seconds, it began to irritate him. Opening his eyes and removing his arm from his face, he turned to his right – where he thought the presence was coming from – and saw a brunette girl he'd never seen before. Wearing a combination of white, blue and green, she stood bent over, her hands on her knees and a smile on her features. She said something – she was speaking too low for him to hear properly – and then she suddenly stood straight and walked away.

He stared after her, puzzled about her presence. What exactly had she just said, and why was she even there in the first place? She hadn't been wearing the uniforms that the other cadets wore around the Garden, so she couldn't have been a student. It was doubtful that she was a SeeD either, because there was just something about her that didn't make the term suit.

That being said, the dress code at the Garden was fairly lax unless an assembly was called or there was some kind of special occasion. She could have simply been a student who preferred casual dress. Anything was possible when it came down to it really, but somehow – and he couldn't put his finger on why he felt this way – she just didn't strike him as the combat type…

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard the door to the infirmary slide open, followed by footfalls hitting the floor as the person came in. Dr. Kadowaki emerged from her office and greeted the person before whoever it was could get into Squall's line of view. Feigning sleep so as he wouldn't be disturbed or confronted by the doctor, he could hear snatches of the conversation, mostly Kadowaki's side of it.

"Yes, yes, he's not too badly hurt," the doctor was saying, "the wound will probably leave a scar though. There's not much I can do about that."

Squall frowned, not liking the idea of having a reminder of the elder boy etched into his face. The only consolation was that, most likely, Seifer was faced with the very same prospect.

"I suppose he's well enough to take part in it, but I wouldn't recommend it. Still, it's his decision. Yours too, for that matter. Honestly, those two are going to wind up killing each other one of these days."

"The Headmaster already knows what happened," the second person said, and Squall inwardly groaned as he recognized the voice. "I'm not sure what he plans to do about it, but I suppose that's really up to him, though it's unlikely I'll stop him at all, given your diagnosis."

The footfalls resumed and Squall instantly knew he was right when a girl roughly his age came into view. Her long hair was done back into an immaculate fishtail bun, though long strands on either side of her face were left unchecked. Folding her arms across her chest, she barely managed to obscure the red tie she wore that was part of her uniform. She watched him from behind silver-rimmed glasses that sat atop the bridge of her nose as though she had fashioned it to do so perfectly, arching an eyebrow in his direction when a moment passed.

"Well?" Instructor Quistis Trepe asked, her Dollet accent apparent despite her having lived in the Garden for the last four years.

Squall sat up slowly, his head no longer hurting thanks to the aspirin. He knew what she was after. She wanted to know what had happened to cause them both to wind up in the infirmary. Again. He didn't know why she was even bothering to ask when she most likely knew he would have nothing to say on the subject.

When he didn't reply at great length, Instructor Trepe unfolded her arms and sighed again. "Alright, let's go. Class is going to start soon."

Reluctantly, Squall rose from the bed and followed his instructor out of the infirmary, not even bothering to return the wave of farewell from the annoying doctor.

The pair ended up in a hallway similar to that of the one that led to the dorms. Near the middle of the hall, there were steps that led out into the courtyard, where he could see people congregating. It was mild for being near the middle of March. While the continent known as Balamb never did see snow, they did receive cold temperatures and lots of rain in the winter, but it looked as though that was finally over with.

The warm temperatures got him thinking about the Fire Cavern again and he scowled, knowing that he _still _hadn't gone. He wondered how many others had completed it; probably most of the class by now. He knew for a fact that Seifer had, since he'd rubbed it in his face earlier about not having gone.

"Is there something on your mind, Squall?" Instructor Trepe asked. Her voice jarred him from his thoughts, and he was somewhat surprised she had picked up on his actions. Normally, people just assumed him to be in a bad mood for some reason and left him to it. It was almost impressive that she'd gotten it right.

That didn't mean he was about to confess his procrastination to one of the nosiest instructors in the Garden. He'd just have to make sure he got it done after class, if he had time.

"Not really," he said, and he was startled to find that there was an echo as he spoke.

Instructor Trepe started laughing out of the blue, and he realized that she had spoken almost at the same time as him. Now, he was becoming more than a little annoyed that she had been right twice and after a moment, he turned to face her, scowling. "What's so funny?"

"Funny?" She asked, almost surprised by the word. Chuckling, she waved off the thought as she would have swatted a fly. "No, no. It's not that it's _funny_. I'm just happy."

She could probably tell that he was staring at her like she was strange because she elaborated, "I feel like I'm finally getting to know my student."

Taken aback by the comment, Squall's scowl deepened, not liking what she was implying. "I'm more complex than you think."

"Well," the instructor said without missing a beat, "then tell me more about yourself."

Squall's expression relaxed itself into that of a frown. He didn't tell anyone about himself, because honestly he didn't like talking about himself. Likes, dislikes, hobbies, they all felt irrelevant to him. What was so important about what other people did with their spare time? At any rate, he didn't feel obligated to tell anyone, much less his _instructor_, about any of that. If anything, the conversation was steering into inappropriate waters as it was, making him feel uncomfortable.

"It's," he started, but Instructor Trepe beat him to the punch.

"None of your business?"

He glared at her and she laughed outright, covering her mouth with her hand after a second to muffle the sound. Squall rolled his eyes and continued walking down the hall, the instructor following close behind.

"Seifer told me what happened earlier," Instructor Trepe continued when they were out of the hall and heading towards the Front Hall. "His side of it, at least. Seeing as his series of events are _so_ reliable," the words dripped with sarcasm, "I was hoping to get your take of it."

"It doesn't matter," Squall said with the shake of his head, wanting to let the subject drop. "What's done is done. No use talking about it."

"So you're not bothered that Seifer will embellish what happened?" Instructor Trepe asked, staring at him critically.

Of course Squall cared. He knew that Seifer would change the story to suit his purposes, making him out to be the good guy. No one ever believed it when this happened, but it was enough for the gossip to spread, and in the end it was done to get a rise out of him. But he found that it really wasn't any of her business, and he simply shrugged in response. "Seifer's going to say what he wants anyway. Why let it bother me?"

"That's a good way to look at it," Instructor Trepe stated, but judging by the expression on her face she was disappointed.

They climbed the stairs up to the elevator, and the door opened. The contraption was empty, but both instructor and student entered, the glass doors sliding shut as the mechanical box lifted them towards the second floor. Squall leaned against the wall with his arms folded in front of him while the instructor's hands were clasped behind her back.

He vaguely wondered why she wasn't bringing any papers with her to the classroom. Like she'd told him, classes were going to start soon, and normally she was more prepared than she was now. He didn't know what she was planning, since exams weren't going to begin for another two months. He sincerely hoped that she wasn't expecting them to sit there and do revision, because he'd much rather spend the free class in the Training Centre.

Another thought occurred to him and he fought against the panic that almost rose up out of his chest. If the rumour turned out to be true then that was that. His last chance would have been before classes began, and he doubted anyone would be willing to go to the fire cavern with such short notice. He mentally cursed Seifer and his arrogance. This latest trip to the infirmary will have ensured that he'd be stuck in study hall and, somehow, he figured that Seifer knew it too, even _before_ their spar had begun.

The elevator came to a stop and Squall exited first, the feeling of dread weighing on him heavily. Instructor Trepe hesitated for a moment and when he turned to regard her, she smiled. "I know people would talk if we both go in together, so go on ahead and I'll be there in a few minutes."

Squall resisted the urge to snort. He wasn't stupid. People were _already_ talking. It was a well-known fact that she was interested in him, and not just as a student. He didn't feel the same way, but that didn't stop the gossips from making their speculations. Still, he understood her reasoning. The conclusions the students would jump to were they to enter together was enough to make his headache resurface despite the aspirin.

However, instead of voicing his opinion, he simply shrugged and continued down the hallway towards his classroom.

The classroom was fairly big, with four rows of desks built to fit two students at each, making the room efficient enough to house at least twenty students. Himself included, everyone had managed to arrive, and up until he'd passed through the sliding doors that allowed him entrance, it appeared as though everyone was talking amongst themselves, only to have stopped. He knew he was the cause, as all eyes were fixed solely on him, no doubt having spied the bandage around his forehead.

He barely paused in stride as he made his way for his seat at the back of the room, sinking down in front of the terminal he would normally use during class. Almost instantly, the room resumed its noise, and he ignored it almost too easily as he stared at the screen in front of him.

Squall logged into the system using his student identification, and checked to see if there was anything of interest on the board. He did find that he had a Guardian Force waiting for him, which confirmed the rumours of the Field Exam for that day. Cursing in disgust under his breath, he leaned back against his chair and scowled at the monitor in front of him. He supposed he'd discovered the reason for the instructor's lack of papers.

Speaking of, the blonde instructor had just entered the room and a small group of the students, mostly the front row, were busy shushing the people around them, interrupting conversations and aggravating their fellow classmates. Those who weren't were simply watching her in awed reverence. Squall assumed they were all members of the 'Trepies', the name of a group of fan-boys and girls for the instructor that had been around since she'd first attained SeeD-ship.

Even as Instructor Trepe was taking her seat and checking her attendance sheet, Squall checked the information regarding the GF he would be using. Quezacotl was a thunder type and was considered a low-type Guardian, something the Garden staff would see fit to allow cadets to use. He didn't know why the Garden was requisitioning the GF when he was no longer eligible to participate in the exam, or even what possessed him to do this, but, leaning forward, he pressed his fingers against the computer screen, closed his eyes and concentrated on the thunder properties that the Guardian controlled, willing it into his mind.

He felt a small electric shock that nearly forced him to lose his concentration, but he persisted and he could feel an entity entering his mind, almost through a door that had just recently been unlocked. The feeling was foreign, and yet not unwelcome – he'd junctioned Guardian Forces before – and his senses were instantly heightened. Every small and insignificant detail in the classroom was suddenly absorbed into his vision. Every sound down to the lightest _clickity-clack_ of fingers brushing across a keyboard from across the room was heightened and therefore unmissed by his hearing.

It seemed as though Instructor Trepe was finished with the role-call, because she raised her voice and gained everyone's attention. Beside him, Seifer – still wearing his off-white trench coat and no indication of his school uniform – was slouched back in his chair, an expression of boredom registering on his features. The same white bandage that covered his own forehead was wrapped around Seifer's – the only indication he could see that he'd actually slashed him.

Keeping his head down, Squall couldn't stop the satisfied smirk from forming across his features. Seifer wasn't looking at him, and thus failed to notice.

"Some of you will have noticed that I haven't brought a single trace of work with me for this class," the instructor continued on, exposing her arms and hands to prove this point before returning them to her sides. "That is because I have an announcement to make. The rumours of the SeeD Field Exam taking place today are, in fact, true. The Headmaster has opted to move the date of the exam up from its original scheduled nearer the end of May."

The two girls sitting in front of Squall gasped and exchanged glances between one another. Someone on the opposite end of the class swore loudly, which caused the rest of the room to become animated. Chancing a glance out of his eye, he noticed that Seifer had remained calm. There wasn't a doubt in Squall's mind that Seifer had believed the rumour. His eyes narrowed as his earlier thoughts were somewhat confirmed by this discovery and he turned away in disgust.

"Those of you who have not taken the written exam or who have failed it will remain here for study hall," the instructor continued, and comments of outrage and disappointment filled the room, forcing her to speak over them. "I understand that it is short notice, and because of this only a small group of students will be participating."

Squall sat up a little straighter at the news, not having expected that. He would have thought more people would be participating, since he knew that a majority of the class had passed the written exam already. The results had been posted nearly a month after the exam had been conducted. He wondered if the reason for the low number of participants had more to do with the prerequisite than the exam results.

Instructor Trepe was oblivious to his concerns or thoughts, however, and continued to speak regardless of them. "Those participating will have a notice in their inboxes notifying them of the specifics. The notice will also dictate that Instructor Aki will be the one announcing the team assignments. That is incorrect. I will be replacing him in doing so.

"Any questions?" She asked, however despite the outrage that had filled the classroom, no one seemed to want to say anything and Instructor Trepe nodded in response. "Alright then. Oh," she said, as though she'd suddenly remembered something. "And Seifer?"

Seifer looked up from his own terminal – probably checking to see if he would be participating in the Field Exam (Squall couldn't see him _not_ participating). He looked mildly interested in what she had to say.

"Magic is strictly prohibited during training sessions," Instructor Trepe announced and Squall perked up slightly in surprise. He hadn't told her what had happened, so how could she have known Seifer had used magic? "This rule has been put into play to avoid training accidents or injuries. I'll trust that it won't happen again. Am I understood?"

Seifer looked just as shocked as Squall was, and turned to look at him, glaring as he did. Squall simply stared back.

"Seifer?" Instructor Trepe said in a sharp tone.

Seifer turned to look back at her before leaning back into his seat once again. "Yeah, yeah…"

"Yes, _what_?"

"Yes, _Instructor_," Seifer said, imitating her tone.

Instructor Trepe didn't appear to care, because she nodded in acceptance. "Good." She turned her attention to the rest of the class, who had thought the whole exchange to be amusing, if the giggles and chuckles were any indication. "As of this moment, class is dismissed. SeeD participants, I expect to see you at the right time in the hall. Don't be late."

Squall was just logging out of his terminal and preparing to head for the Training Centre to let off some steam when she continued. "And Squall, I'd like to talk to you."

Scowling slightly, he finished logging out and rose to his feet in order to head to the front of the class. Except at that moment, Seifer had chosen to stand and purposely knocked his arm into Squall's shoulder as he left the class. Squall figured he thought he'd ratted him out about the magic spell, but he didn't really care at that moment. Making sure that Seifer had put enough distance between them, he moved to the front of the classroom, where three of the Trepies were congratulating the instructor on another good class. Squall didn't know how she put up with it, but he opted to stand aside while they concluded their conversation.

Instructor Trepe apparently noticed him, because soon after she wrapped up the conversation and the three students left. She gestured for Squall to move over to her desk, which he did.

"You still haven't gone to the Fire Cavern, have you?" she asked suddenly.

Squall was taken aback. He hadn't said anything to her about it, and for a moment he vaguely wondered if Seifer had let that information slip, but decided it wasn't important. She knew and there wasn't much he could do about it now. Instead, he nodded in answer to her question.

The instructor sighed, leaning against her desk and folding her arms across her chest. "This could be a problem," she said before looking up at him. "I know perfectly well you're on the list to participate in the Field Exam, but unless you complete this prerequisite, I'm afraid you won't be able to go."

Squall frowned, having expected her to say that. However, he opted to say nothing as she continued. No excuse he could possibly offer would change the facts and he was prepared to deal with the consequence.

What she had to say next surprised him thought. "The teams have already been decided, but if you can't go, we'll have to re-evaluate. Maybe even re-draft them. That could delay the exam for another few weeks, but we can't wait. So here is what we're going to do. You need SeeD support to accompany you on the task, so I will meet you at the Front Gate in…"

She checked the clock positioned on the wall. It was just after 0830. "Forty-five minutes. That should give you enough time to prepare. We'll complete the prerequisite, I'll send off the results and then that'll be that hurdle out of the way. Sound good to you?"

That actually hadn't been what Squall had expected her to say at all. Having come to the conclusion that the rumours were true, he had expected to have to stay in study hall with everyone else, regardless of his wishes. While she wasn't exactly the choice person he would have wanted to come along with him on this journey, he couldn't afford to be choosey, so he nodded in response.

"Good," she said, standing up taller. "Now go get ready. Remember, forty-five minutes."

And with that, she left the classroom.

Squall stared after her, wondering what she had meant when she'd said the field exam couldn't afford to wait an extra few weeks. After a minute of wondering, he shrugged it off, (it wasn't any of his business) and left the classroom in somewhat better spirits than he had been previously.

Walking down the hallway, he gathered his thoughts. He had about forty-five minutes, which meant that he could shower, change and grab something to eat before heading out to the gate. Actually, he could have done it in less time, but he figured the instructor had her reasons. Faculty seemed to operate on different parameters than their students, which meant she probably had some other things to take care of before they met up.

He was so involved with his thoughts that he didn't hear the speeding footfalls ahead of him, or the incessant shouts of being late. The next thing he knew as he turned into the hall that would get him to the elevator, something collided with him, forcing him to stagger backwards. He managed to get his balance back and looked around for the offending object, only to see a girl he'd never seen before.

It wasn't the same girl from the infirmary. Both girls did have dark hair, but her facial features were slightly different, most definitely younger looking. As she rose to her feet quickly, she smoothed out her student uniform, brushing off the long navy-blue sleeves of the jacket before doing the same with the skirt and fixing the yellow tie – not unlike the red one the instructor wore – into place. Running her fingers through hair styled like a bob, it seemed as though she'd recovered well enough from the collision.

He didn't say anything as she rose to her feet. Instead, he marvelled at the energy that seemed to radiate off her. The letters 'A.D.D.' ran though his head, but before he could process them or even try to move away, she clapped her hands in front of her, snapping him out of his thoughts. "There. Sorry about that. I wasn't watching where I was going."

Even then all she did was look around them; it was almost as though her surroundings were foreign to her. "This place is soooo much bigger than my last Garden," she added and whistled at the high ceilings. "Yep, definitely bigger."

So she's a transfer student, Squall thought to himself. Students tended to transfer from the other two Gardens to participate in the Field Exam. Balamb was the only Garden to hold them. And since, from his recollection, Galbadia Garden was supposed to be bigger than Balamb that only left Trabia as the reasonable choice.

He tried to get over to the elevator, but the hyper girl jumped into his path. "Say," she said curiously. "You didn't happen to just come from that classroom…did you?"

She pointed over towards Instructor Trepe's class. Squall nodded in response and the girl pumped her right hand into the air, which had balled itself into a tiny fist. "Woo-Hoo! Luck is on my side!"

Squall went to leave again, but she turned her attention to him, asking almost tentatively, "Is…homeroom over already?"

Once again, Squall nodded, but this time, his answer had the opposite effect. Her face fell and she cried out in anguish. "Oh no! I knew it! I just _knew_ I should have come up here! I don't know why they didn't put the classrooms downstairs! It would have made things a lot easier to remember…"

Thinking that maybe the third time was the charm, Squall tried to manoeuvre around her to get to the elevators, but once again, the girl stepped into his path. "Um… Sorry to be a bother, but... well... I'm kinda new here…"

"I gathered that," Squall deadpanned.

The girl put her right hand behind her head and stuck out her tongue in embarrassment. "That noticeable, huh?"

Squall nodded once more.

"Well, could you possibly, maybe, show me around?" She asked, moving her hand and clasping both together in a pleading position. "I don't wanna get lost again! This place is terrifyingly _huge_!"

Squall suddenly got the feeling that this girl wouldn't leave him alone until he agreed. But he didn't have enough time to give her a proper tour of the Garden either. He wasn't completely heartless and while he didn't exactly want to do it, there really wasn't anyone else around to help her. It helped that he was in a somewhat decent mood for once.

Then he got an idea. There was one way that could help her and make it so he didn't have to drag her all along the Garden. "I could show you the Garden Directory."

"Wow!" The girl exclaimed. "The Garden's big enough for a directory?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Your old Garden didn't have a directory?"

The girl shook her head. "Nuh-uh. Trabia's too small to need one. It's pretty easy to navigate anyhow, so you'd have to be kinda dumb to get lost there. Can't say the same for this place, though. So where's the directory?"

The teenager wondered exactly what he was getting himself into. This girl seemed like a spaz. How she had even been enrolled in Trabia Garden let alone Balamb was a mystery. "It's in the front hall. Come on, I'll show you where it is."

The girl jumped up again, punching the air and Squall sighed as he moved towards the elevator. This time, she didn't stop him.

When they got back down to the first floor, he led her to the directory. It was a large board positioned on top of a stand situated near the bottom of the stairs they were descending. "_That's_ the directory."

"Oh…" the girl said, sounding somewhat sheepish. Squall figured she felt guilty for having overlooked it. She took a moment to look it over, tilting her head from side to side. Squall, thinking that he could go, turned to leave, but the girl's voice stopped him. "Um…"

Rolling his eyes, he turned back around to see what the matter was now. She was looking at him sheepishly, her head bowed in embarrassment as she bit her lip. "How do you use this thing?"

He resisted the urge to shake his head. He supposed that, though it seemed simple enough for him, it may have been confusing for someone else who was new to the Garden. There were a lot of areas along the board they were staring at with letters that were supposed to be referenced from the legend at the bottom right hand corner. The first floor itself was divided up into two halves, representing the east wing and the west wing. There were also diagrams that were supposed to depict the second floor as well as the numerous classrooms. And taking into account that this girl hadn't had to use a directory at her previous Garden, he couldn't really fault her for not knowing how to use it, even if it was an inconvenience to him to have to explain it.

"It's fairly simple to use," he started, wanting to get this over with quickly. "This circle here," he pointed at a spot on the directory right in front of what was supposed to symbolize the elevator, "is us, and the symbol in front of that circle represents the elevator."

The girl nodded enthusiastically and the teenager continued. Thankfully she seemed to be following him. "The first floor of the Garden is separated into two quadrants; the East Wing leads to the Infirmary, the Cafeteria and the Quad..."

"Oh! I went to the Quad!" The girl interrupted excitedly. "They're planning the Garden Festival Event over there. I'm thinking of joining. I was a part of the festival at my last Garden. It's gonna be a blast! Wanna join too?"

Squall ignored the question and opted not to comment. The Garden Festival Committee's Chair had already left the Garden, wanting to explore other venues of interest. That left the Committee basically non-existent. He doubted there was even going to be a Festival this year.

But he wasn't about to get into a conversation with her about it, as it would eat up more time. So instead, he turned his attention back to the directory. "The west wing is the fastest way to get to the Training Centre, the Library and the Garage."

"You guys have a Training Centre?" The girl piped up, her interest peaked. This time, Squall couldn't help himself, his eyebrow rose once more.

Apparently though, she took this as an excuse to explain. "All we ever did if we wanted to train was leave the Garden and enter a forest. Not a really good idea without an instructor though, but I did it on a dare once. What's it like in your Training Centre?"

"The setting's more like a forest," Squall explained. He would know, since he almost always found himself in there. "The Garden brings in monsters from the surrounding area and puts them in there for training purposes. There are two sides to the training centre. The intermediate section and the advance section."

"There's no beginner section?" The girl asked tentatively.

He was surprised at how sincere she sounded as she asked her question and realized that she was indeed serious. How could she have even thought there was a beginner section when they were dealing with monsters?

Squall shook his head in response to her question. "Beginners aren't permitted inside the Training Centre without support from an instructor, Faculty member or SeeD support. It's done this way because the situations inside the Training Centre are real. If you're not careful, you could end up dead."

The girl gulped. "Okay… continue…"

"Either side leads to the Dormitories. It's at the far end of the Garden. Some of students commute here from town, but there are some who stay in the Garden."

"I'm one of them!" she said enthusiastically.

_Wouldn't have guessed_, Squall thought to himself sarcastically. "All of the classrooms and the instructors dormitories are up on the second floor and the Headmaster's offices are up on the third. You can't get to the third floor without permission though. There's a lock on the elevator and without the right access code and key-card, you can't get up there anyway. Another thing, in case you didn't know: the Head Physician in the infirmary is Dr. Kokoro Kadowaki, and the Headmaster's name is Cid Kramer."

"I knew the second one already, but it's good to know about the doctor," the girl said with a nod.

"Any questions?" Squall asked, checking his watch. He'd already taken up about 8 minutes.

"Nope, I've got everything," the girl said. "Thanks for helping me."

Squall didn't say anything and was about to walk away when the girl called out to him again. "One question though. Are you taking the Field Exam today?"

Squall was surprised she knew about it. He'd assumed she'd just gotten there, which could have possibly been true. Still, there was only one reason she could be asking about it. "Are you?"

The girl nodded. "Yep, yep! I finished all my previous training at Trabia Garden. Just found out it was today when I found my dorm, so I'm kind of nervous. And you?"

Squall nodded. _That's if I can get to the Fire Cavern_.

"Well then, good luck to both of us," she said, waving enthusiastically as she walked away. "Thanks again!"

Squall nodded in her direction and watched as she moved down the hallway towards the Library. Deciding that he really didn't want to get into another conversation with her, he would take the alternate path and grab some food from the cafeteria.

* * *

The cafeteria wasn't all that impressive. Near the entrance was a vending machine with mostly bottled water, and the occasional sports or soft drink and near that was the counter to pick up and order food. The counter stretched from the middle to the far end of the room, and directly across was a set of steps that led to a dining area, filled with tables and chairs. There were also tables and chairs set up near the entrance to the cafeteria.

He'd just managed to finish his meal, putting his tray atop the garbage receptacle and was on his way out when he stopped, frowning slightly when he saw Seifer standing near the vending machine. It wasn't that he was afraid of him, he just didn't have the time to deal with him at the moment. Because of the line-up, he only had twenty minutes to meet the instructor at the Front Gate.

Besides, he wasn't particularly looking to strike up a conversation with the elder cadet anyway. He was still pissed at him for what had happened in the morning and, while it normally didn't take him this long to calm down, he didn't want to sabotage himself any further by getting involved in a fist fight with the bastard.

Standing alongside Seifer were two other people. One was a petit looking woman with short silver coloured hair wearing a blue jacket and a pair of black pants. Over her left eye was a blue eye patch. Why it was there, no one knew, it was just there. The other person was much taller than even Seifer, darker skinned and wore a red vest and a pair of dark coloured pants.

Squall knew exactly who those people were; Fujin and Raijin were a part of the Disciplinary Committee, with Seifer as its leading member. The Committee had been created as a means of students policing other students instead of it all falling on the shoulders of the Garden Faculty, but everyone knew that Seifer abused his power. He used it as an excuse to torment other students, no matter what they were doing.

"SEIFER, DRINK?" Fujin asked in her peculiar way of speaking.

Seifer, however, didn't answer. Squall didn't know why, nor did he particularly care.

"Hey, I'd like one too, ya know," Raijin said. He was probably the most likeable member of the trio, though also not the brightest. "Can I get a water?"

Fujin regarded the taller boy for only a second before turning her back on him. "IGNORE."

Raijin groaned loudly, and went to sulk. Squall guessed that they were adequately distracted and went to move passed them, but Raijin managed to spot him. "Hey Squall, how'ya doin'?"

Squall would have gone passed him, except Raijin had managed to step in his path. Seifer didn't so much as look up at him. Squall assumed they weren't on speaking terms, which suited him just fine.

Unfortunately, Raijin didn't have the same mind set and was still talking to him. "You want something to drink? Fujin's buyin'."

At the insinuation, Fujin turned around and kicked the bigger cadet in the shin, causing him to wince and grab at the appendage in pain. "Ow! Fuj! Why'd you go do that for?"

"RAGE!" She shouted, scowling at the bigger man. No doubt she was unimpressed at his assumption.

However, before anything else could happen, a blur came running into the cafeteria, nearly knocking Squall and Raijin over in its haste to reach the cafeteria counter. When the blur finally stopped, Squall immediately recognized the figure. It was a blonde haired boy wearing a cadet uniform. His hair was spiked up at the front and there was a very distinct vine-like tattoo on the left side of his face. His gloved hands were clutching at the counter as he attempted to catch his breath.

"Are… there… any…more…hotdogs…?" The blonde teenager wheezed out.

Looking around, Squall realized that the entire cafeteria's eyes were on the blonde cadet, who couldn't have been any more oblivious. He heard the people sitting at a nearby table asking who ate hotdogs first thing in the morning.

Even the cafeteria lady looked shocked at the sudden intrusion. She looked over at the rest of the staff like a deer caught in headlights when the head cafeteria worker showed up at the woman's side. "Sorry, we won't have another shipment in until lunch."

"Aw…dammit!" The cadet shouted dismayed. He'd apparently thought that coming in for breakfast he'd actually get some of the hotdogs. The saddest thing about the whole thing was that Squall could hardly blame him. Unfortunately out of everything the cafeteria served, hotdogs were the bestselling item.

"Sorry," the cafeteria woman shouted after the tattooed cadet even as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and started heading out of the cafeteria. "Try again at lunchtime."

When the cadet had finally disappeared down the hall, Squall went to leave when he heard Seifer say something for the first time since that morning. "Running through the halls, causing a disturbance, harassing staff members," Seifer was starting to grin. It was a sign that Squall didn't think was so good for the blonde boy. "Three rules broken in the presence of the Disciplinary Committee. I think there should be a show. I'd call it Balamb Garden's Dumbest Criminals."

He turned to look at Raijin and Fujin and nodded once. "You know what to do."

At which point, all three of them broke into a run out of the cafeteria, no doubt on the cadet's tail.

Squall wondering if he should point out that Seifer was breaking the very rule he was trying to uphold, but chose not to. It'd be pointless to get Seifer to follow _any _rules, and it would only lead to another confrontation, the very thing he was trying to avoid.

_Actually, it's pretty hypocritical for him to even be on the Committee in the first place,_ Squall thought, but chose to let it go. At least now he was actually able to leave.

He returned to his dormitory, showered in the bathroom he would have otherwise had to share with his non-existent roommate, and when he was done went into his room to change. Upon spying the shirt he'd worn up until that point, he suddenly realized how it was Instructor Trepe could have known Seifer had cast magic. There were burn marks etched into the material from where he couldn't guard, marring the article of clothing with holes. And of course, Seifer's favourite kind of magic was fire, so it had been fairly obvious.

Scowling at the destroyed shirt, he threw it in the trash and pulled out a white muscle shirt, pulling it on and getting dressed. When he was finished, he realized that something was missing, that something had been missing since he'd awoken in the infirmary.

The case he was looking for wasn't in its normal place – leaning against the wall at the foot of the bed – so he checked underneath it, finding the desired item. He pulled it out into plain sight and opened it up. A moment later, he released the breath he'd been holding unintentionally, noting that the gunblade was there. Dr. Kadowaki must have had it returned when he'd been brought back. He would've thought Seifer had left it behind, but thinking back he should have known better. Seifer treated his own gunblade like an extension of his arm, something important to him. Seifer would have known Squall've done the same.

Pulling on his weapons belt, he slid the Revolver into its holster and, with one backwards glance to his room, headed to the front gate.

* * *

_Just wanted to clear up something; I recieved a review at one point criticizing Selphie's behaviour about the directory and how to use it. I know that was how they did it for the game and I opted to keep it in to a, foreshadow the fact that Squall is actually a nice guy and b, because not everyone knows how to use a directory (no matter how simple they made it in the game). _I _have trouble reading and understanding directories all the time and it's only if I know the place really well that I get used to the damned thing. That's not to say that Selphie's as dumb as me, but I doubt in the actual world of Final Fantasy 8 the directory would be _that_ simplified. Just wanted to get that off my chest. Hope you enjoyed reading the chapter._


	3. Chapter II: Trailblazers

**Edited: **_05/19/10_

* * *

**Chapter II:**  
**Trailblazers**

* * *

Nothing eventful took place on his way to the Front Gate. Squall had opted to head in the general direction of the infirmary, thinking it'd be a good idea to pick up some more aspirin in case his headache came back. However, he'd been surprised to see some of the students rushing out of the Quad, and for a moment, he'd wondered if one of the Caterchipillars got out of the Training Centre again.

He had slowed down to see if he could learn anything about it and he'd definitely heard something of interest. Apparently the new transfer student had learned about the deficit in members of the Garden Festival Committee, had appointed herself as the Committee chair, and was trying to recruit members.

Squall walked past the Quad fairly quickly in the hopes that he wouldn't run into her again.

After picking up an extra couple of tablets of aspirin, Squall had continued down the hall, and towards the turnstiles that would take him outside.

The front of the Garden was pretty spacious; a pathway with a couple of trees planted along the way, and guard rails along the side for the students to lean against should they want to just hang around. The path led down a set of stairs towards a fountain that had been added to the décor, and up another path of stairs. The Front Gate was exactly what it was; a gate with the Garden insignia engraved in the very center of the object that would close once curfew was in effect. Just outside of the gate was a road that led into a structure further down. It led to the Garage and was used only when personnel used the Garden cars to get in or out.

Instructor Trepe stood against the gates waiting for him, not wearing her SeeD uniform, but a light orange coloured vest and matching skirt. A pair of dark coloured boots reached her knees, which was wear the skirt ended. Her hair was still in the fish tail bun as it always was and attached to her hip holster was a chain whip, her weapon of choice. Her gloved hands were folded across her chest as she stared out into the distance, seemingly lost in thought.

When he was a few feet away from her, she looked up and pulled herself away from the gate, waiting for him to catch up. "The Fire Cavern is just east of here, but before we set out, I just want to review what you know about Guardian Forces."

Squall frowned. As much as revision was a benefit, it was also boring, especially if he knew what he was doing. In most cases, he did. Still, she was the instructor, so he didn't cut her off as she began her explanation. "GF's give us strength. The stronger the GF, the stronger we become when we junction them. Normally they just sit in the recesses of our minds and increase our speed, endurance, stamina, reflexes and affect our casting abilities and our resistance to magical attacks. Though that's not the only thing they can do. In times of need, we can conjure them from our minds to attack enemies that we find are too strong for us physically.

"What happens when the Guardian Force is summoned depends on the type of Guardian Force itself. For instance, I have two Guardians with me. One is Carbuncle, and the other is Shiva. When Carbuncle is summoned, he rebounds magical attacks back at the enemy. Unfortunately this also applies to healing spells which sets us at a disadvantage as well. Nevertheless, Carbuncle's power places him under the defensive GF category. Shiva is what is classified as an offensive GF, much like Quezacotl. There are other kinds of GF's out there, some that only award status ailments such as poison or blind, but for now we'll stick with what we have.

"Now that that's taken care of, we should get going. We won't be meeting for the field exam until 1600, but it'll take some time to get to and from, let alone the test itself."

* * *

After leaving the Garden, both Instructor Trepe and Squall had continued along the road for roughly fifteen minutes before they started heading east along the grassy field. The sky was clear; the storm that had taken place early in the morning must have cleared up at some point. The air felt cleaner, much fresher than the previous day.

They continued east for another half an hour, undisturbed for the most part, but the worst they'd had to contend with were the annoying Bite Bugs, and the occasional Glacial Eye that wandered too far from the mountains. However, because they were left relatively alone, the instructor had felt it her duty to continue with more revision, if only to fill the silence, since Squall wasn't really offering to start conversation.

"With Glacial Eyes, the quickest way to take them out is to use Fire Magic," Instructor Trepe was saying, "since they're vulnerable to the element. Likewise, monsters that thrive in humid surroundings are weak against Ice Magic, however it's been proven that while Fire Monsters absorbs the element, Ice Monsters aren't affected by Blizzard and its varying forms the least bit."

"Why's that?" Squall asked, not really curious, just knowing that he should at least pretend he was listening.

"Well, with any monster hit with the element they are used to being surrounded by, they gain some kind of affinity with it. Say you were fighting one of the Fire Monsters living in the Fire Cavern. If you were to use fire magic after having attacked it, whatever wounds or injuries they had sustained during the fight would heal itself. For them, casting fire on them will have the same effect that cure spells have on us. I think it's mainly because if you set fire to a building that's already been set ablaze, the fire grows.

"Ice is a different matter. If you were fighting against one of the Glacial Eyes in the mountains, and cast Ice on it, there would be no affect. There would be no instantaneous healing factor, but it wouldn't cause them any harm either. It still hasn't been proven, but I think it might have something to do with the fact that Ice isn't exactly a nurturing element type. It doesn't create or add onto anything. However, regardless of this fact, all of the magical elements have the potential of causing harm. I'm telling you this now, and using both Fire and Ice as examples because we'll need to use ample amounts of Ice Magic once we're inside."

Squall nodded more to himself than in any kind of agreement with the instructor. He'd never been to the Fire Cavern before. No one aside from SeeD candidates or students who'd failed the SeeD exam previously had ever been. It was to ensure that there were no advantages or disadvantages stacked against particular students; they all had to share the same experience at some point or another. At the same time, if you weren't careful, you could end up dying in there and no one would really know; which was why SeeD members were to accompany the cadets inside as their support.

They walked for a few more minutes before finally stopping at the edge of a forest. "We'll have to pass through here to get to the Cavern." Instructor Trepe explained.

Squall frowned, knowing that cadets were also prohibited from entering the forests, after an incident a few years back involving a group of them. T-Rexaurs made their habitats in the humid jungle-like surroundings, and it was difficult enough for SeeD members to deal with them let alone a handful of students. It reminded him of a Training Centre mishap a few years ago, one that he doubted he would ever forget…

"Something on your mind?" Instructor Trepe asked. Squall shook his head in response. "Then let's get going."

The deeper they continued through the forest, the warmer it felt, to the point where Squall had removed his jacket and had it tucked beneath his arm. He'd known he was headed into humid territory, but had opted to wear the beater anyway; it may have been hot in the Cavern, but the rest of the continent was still relatively cool.

They made their way through brushes, over fallen logs, and around the foliage, keeping a constant eye out for monsters. The instructor was holding onto the handle of her chain whip with her right hand, just in case she had to pull it out quickly. Squall himself had his hand on the handle of the gunblade for the same reason.

They heard a loud roar in the distance; it sounded like a T-Rexaur was somewhere around there. Aside from the one mishap, Squall had never trained in the advanced section of the Training Center before and thus it was only once that he'd encountered one of them. After that encounter, he was more than positive that he was most certainly _not _capable of dealing with one of the T-Rexaurs outside of a controlled environment.

"Let's pick up the pace," Instructor Trepe said, seemingly reading his mind. "I don't know about you, but _I_ certainly don't want to run into one of those today."

She hadn't continued with her revision, which made Squall think the instructor wanted them to be as quiet as possible. He picked up the pace, mindful of the leaves and twigs that were scattered along the forest floor.

He didn't know how long they'd been traveling, but he suddenly heard some kind of low screeching sound. He turned around, hand tightening on his gunblade, searching for the cause, but finding nothing else in the immediate area. He turned back around slowly, only to find Instructor Trepe having done the same. "What do you think it is?"

"Judging by the sound, probably a Caterchipillar," the instructor answered. "Keep an eye out; it could be hiding somewhere near…"

She never finished her sentence; a moment later, the instructor had fallen onto her knees, her head slumping forward.

Squall moved over to her, and crouched down next to her making sure she was alright; she was only asleep. He knew that the instructor wasn't prone to periods of narcolepsy, which had to mean something in the area had cast a Sleep spell. Since no one was permitted in the forest without SeeD support, that only left monsters as the viable source.

Staying in his crouching position, Squall closed his eyes, calling on the magical properties of a specific spell he was looking for. He found it, and when he was sure it had been cast, he opened his eyes slowly, noting how his surroundings had lost their colour; everything was in black and white, and some varying shades of grey. If anything was around, he'd see it.

And he did; it was a huge creature – he couldn't discern it with the Scan Spell in effect, but it was definitely the source of the spell – there was still magic in the air, originating from the monster. And there was more magical energy resonating from the creature's mouth (or what Squall assumed was its mouth).

Blinking once and dispelling the effects of the spell, he reacted just in time to avoid a blast of air; grabbing the instructor and launching himself up into the air. The air beneath him rippled with some kind of sonic energy. Whatever it was, it was strong enough to knock over three of the trees that had been behind him. He landed back into a crouching position on the ground, even as the creature slinked towards them through the brush and Underwood.

Squall recognized the creature now that its features were more distinct. Instructor Trepe had been right to think it was a Caterchipillar. It was a caterpillar type monster roughly the size of a tall human. It was a variety of greens, which helped it blend in with its surroundings, had ten long needle-like legs, all red in colour, and antennae the same colour as its body poking out of the top of its head. It also had a large gaping mouth with teeth Squall knew that on a small caterpillar weren't that sharp.

Propping his instructor against a nearby tree, Squall stood ready to take the monster on, except that it spat out a white substance. Squall raised his right arm in order to shoot off a spell, but the white substance wrapped itself around him and forcing him off balance and against the ground. Now that it was closer, he recognized it as a kind of webbing, and it was pinning his left arm – his hand still gripped on the gunblade – to his front. His right arm, however, remained free and raised above his head.

Another shot of the webbing flew over his head and he watched as it wrapped around Instructor Trepe and pinned her to the tree she was propped up against.

Cursing, he tried to wriggle himself into a sitting position, only to find that the webbing had attached itself onto the ground. Looking up, he also noted that the Caterchipillar was crawling towards him. Turning to his right, he caught sight of his jacket, lying on the ground from where he'd dropped it when the webbing had hit him. Using his only free arm, he reached out for it, only to realize that his fingertips barely brushed at the leathery material. Scowling, he stretched his arm further, hoping that he could possibly guide the jacket closer to him.

The Caterchipillar was coming closer still – apparently it could only go so fast with its little legs. The teenager stretched his arm out as far as he possibly could and managed to guide the leather beater closer to him. His arm had cramped by then, but he was able to pull it close enough and dug into one of the sleeves of the jacket, pulling out a combat knife he had stashed up it. Reaching over to his left hand side, he dug the knife into the webbing and tried to slash downwards, finding that the stuff was more durable than he'd thought it was. The fact that he was trying to cut through the webbing at an awkward angle was just adding to the problem.

Unfortunately, his time had run out. He'd only managed to start getting through the web when the Caterchipillar caught up, slapping the base of its body against Squall's hand and knocking the combat knife away. It slid towards the tree where the instructor was still sleeping against.

With his hand empty, Squall positioned it in front of the creature open palmed and concentrated on fire, hoping it would at least stave the monster off. A moment later, a fireball not unlike the one Seifer had cast during their training session shot out from his outstretched hand and hit the Caterchipillar on its stinger. The monster backed off a bit.

Checking his hand to make sure the stinger hadn't hit him, he was relieved to find that he'd gotten lucky. Wasting no time he outstretched his palm again, summoning forth another fire spell, and catching the monster in the face this time before repeating the process. But as he was summoning his forth fire spell, a blast of ice flew over his head and collided with the Caterchipillar. The monster seemed to wince from the attack and shuddered in agony before it finally lay flat onto its back and died.

Squall inclined his head to see where the attack had come from and he saw the source. The instructor had finally awoken, and had managed to get herself out of the webbing, though thin strands of it were sticking to her outfit. Picking up the combat knife, she moved over towards him and dug into the webbing. A moment later, he noticed electricity dancing along the blade of the knife. He guessed that magic had been the reason for her escape. Why he hadn't thought of that, he couldn't be sure.

"Ice works better on Caterchipillars," Instructor Trepe commented offhandedly as she broke through the last of the webbing. "Though fire also works quite well."

Squall moved the webbing off of him, and pulled himself into a sitting position. He should have remembered that; blizzard spells were like that against Bite Bugs as well. He frowned, even as he ignored Instructor Trepe's outstretched hand and pulled himself onto his own feet. The instructor just shrugged in response and her hand was back at her side. "Despite the difference in spells, you managed rather well. I should have been more alert; I haven't been put to sleep like that since _I_ was a cadet."

She smiled encouragingly in his direction. He knew she was trying to cheer him up, but he didn't need her sympathy. He didn't say anything in response, however and she took the hint. "Let's not waste any more time and get to the cavern. It's only a little bit further."

That proved to be an understatement. They spent nearly two hours moving through the forest, and during that time they'd encountered another Caterchipillar, three Bite Bugs and were forced to lie in wait as a T-Rexaur made its way by to avoid being detected. The former four had been easier to dispatch than their first encounter, and Squall couldn't help but notice that the instructor had kept some of the webbing from the first Caterchipillar attack. It was strange, but not strange enough for him to start up another conversation. The only time they stopped was to fish out rations to eat, and Squall was thankful the instructor had thought to bring some along for the trip.

Despite the constant monster attacks, the quiet proved to be a welcome change.

Eventually, they made their way out of the forest, both thankful for the cool breeze after wandering through the humid temperatures. During the ten minute hike to the Fire Cavern, Squall had put his jacket back on, where he also noticed the landscape change; as they continued onward, he realized that the ground was no longer a grassy field, but a barren slab of rock, somewhat like the training ground he and Seifer had scoped out. Surprisingly enough, Instructor Trepe had refrained from making any more attempts at conversation.

The silence ended, however, once they arrived near the entrance to the Fire Cavern.

"Now that we're here," Instructor Trepe began, "I'm going to cover the basics on junctioning magic. You should have already heard this in class, but again I'll revise just to make sure it's fresh in your mind."

Squall remained silent as the instructor continued. "While Guardian Forces grant the user its strength, it may not always be enough. Just attacking blindly and not taking into account the enemy's strengths and weaknesses could prove to be one's undoing. That's where magic comes in. While magic is primarily used as a means of attack, you may also junction specific types of magic to your weapon. It requires an enormous amount of concentration, and cooperation between Guardian and junctionee.

"For instance, while we're inside the Fire Cavern, we're going to encounter monsters who are susceptible to the cold. By junctioning Ice magic to your weapons, or in some cases, to your hands, it will make fending them off easier and quicker than normal. When in doubt of the monster's weakness, use the scan spell to examine them monster you're fighting and it should become clear. If not, then it's better not to use it."

"Anything else I should know?" Squall asked, slightly irritated by the constant revision lessons.

"Not unless you need to be reminded on how to use your gunblade," the instructor quipped back. Squall wasn't amused. "Other than that, you're free to go."

They walked along the dirt-trail leading towards the cavern. In the distance, Squall could just barely make out two figures, both wearing white and red cloaks with a strange looking yellow hat covering their faces. The teenager recognized them immediately; the infamous Garden Faculty. If everyone – students and SeeDs alike – agreed on anything, it was just how much they loathed the robe wearing people under Garden's employ. They were sticklers when it came down to rules, almost so that they were obnoxious about it, making Seifer seem somewhat considerate and almost decent in comparison.

But as they drew closer, Squall also noticed they were getting ready to leave. The instructor must have realized this too, because the look on her face gave away her irritation. "Where do you think you're going?" she snapped in their direction.

"Our orders were to guard the entrance to the Fire Cavern until 1200 hours." One of the Garden Faculty stated simply. There was an undertone of annoyance in his voice that he knew the instructor wouldn't tolerate. "We're already running late as it is."

"You should have also received a memo from Headmaster Kramer," the instructor shot back, her tone of voice frigid, "that one more student would be taking the test."

"So long as he arrived by the time the limit was up," the Faculty continued where the instructor had finished. "It is now 1215 hours. Our time here expired fifteen minutes ago."

"I know you received notification from the Headmaster that there was to be one more student participating in the prerequisite." The instructor checked her watch before returning her steely gaze at the two men standing before her. "It is now 1216 hours. You've wasted precisely sixty seconds arguing when we could have already been inside. Unless, of course, you would like to contest this particular student's privilege to undergo the test."

"The time limit cannot be extended any further," the Faculty continued to argue.

"It appears I have not made myself clear," the instructor said, her tone bordering on outraged. "This student passed the written test. You have _both_ received notification by the Headmaster to allow him to undergo this test once he arrived. Don't feed me some cock-and-bull story that you can't exceed the time limit when I know for a fact the Headmaster's intensions were clear. I was there when he drew up the orders and paperwork myself, so I know what was written and what was expressed. So you both can either do your jobs, or I can report this insubordination to the Headmaster once we return. Now which is it going to be?"

Both Garden Faculty members exchanged glances, though their expressions were unreadable because of their masks. Squall stood with his arms folded, looking between the two Faculty and Instructor Trepe, waiting to see which one would fold. Eventually, the Faculty nodded in unison. "Alright, we'll let him through."

"Thank you for your generosity," the instructor replied irritably.

"But this insult will not go unanswered," the second faculty snapped.

"I'm sure it won't. Now, shall we get on with this?"

The Garden Faculty huffed, equally irritable, and went back to the bags they had been packing, probably withdrawing the appropriate devices they would be using to catalogue their data. "I take it you're ready to take the test."

The question was directed towards Squall. He knew his facial expression betrayed his feelings towards the obviously stupid question, and he did nothing to correct himself. "Yes."

"Obviously, I'm his support." Instructor Trepe said, falling into a salute; it was ill timed given what had just transpired. "Instructor number 114, Quistis Trepe."

The Faculty member taking all the notes nodded, before addressing Squall once again. "For the record, state your name and student identification number."

"Squall Leonhart, number 41269."

The Faculty nodded once again. "You may select a time limit that you feel will be enough time to reach the end of the cavern and back. Should you exceed the time limit, then you will have failed this test, regardless of whether you reached the end or not. Do you understand this?"

Squall nodded in response. "Good. You may choose anywhere from ten minutes to an hour."

"Twenty minutes." Squall stated. There was a simple enough reason; while he wanted to get in and out of the cavern in as little time as possible, he also wanted to take into account obstacles or any other occurrences that could possibly occur.

Whether or not the instructor agreed with this assessment, he didn't know. Nor did he particularly care.

"Twenty minutes, ten there and ten back," the Garden Faculty confirmed. "Alright. Good luck."

Squall could tell the comment had only been uttered because they were required to say it; judging from their tone they still were annoyed at the way the Instructor had responded to them. Nevertheless, the Garden Faculty moved out of their path and both instructor and student headed down the path. The test had finally begun.


	4. Chapter III: Trial By Fire

_I must admit; the title for this chapter is a tried and true classic. I wanted to use something else, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations, so thus the chapter is what it is. I hope you enjoy it nonetheless._

**Edited: **_01/27/09_

**Edited: **_05/19/10_

* * *

**Chapter III:  
Trial By Fire**

* * *

The inside of the Fire Cavern was exactly what Squall thought it would be. Dark. But what he hadn't expected was the hue of red reverberating off the cavern ceiling and floor as they progressed further. The only real light the place was afforded was the sunlight streaming inside through the entrance. Further down, he noticed the reason for the red light. The path ahead was surrounded by lava on either side. He could feel the heat coming off them, but this time he opted to keep his jacket on. Despite how hot it might get, he didn't want to be caught without his back up weapons again.

"Just remember," the instructor spoke quietly. "This is _your_ test. I'm just here to act as your support. However, if things get out of hand, I _will_ step out of my boundaries. All you need to do is reach the end of the cavern, grab a small red orb, and come back in the least amount of time as possible."

Squall nodded. He understood.

"Then let's get going."

They set off at a brisk pace. Soon the sunlight behind them faded as they descended the path leading deeper into the cavern. The path curved to the left, surrounding them with large rocks and boulders that acted as a barrier to the lava.

Neither Instructor Trepe nor Squall spoke, simply keeping their focus on their surroundings in case they were attacked. The deeper they continued down the path, the hotter it seemed to become and Squall was positive they would have roasted alive within the first few minutes if the Guardian Forces they had junctioned hadn't been enhancing their tolerance to their humid surroundings.

Only a couple of minutes went by when Squall caught sight of movement from the corner of his eye. He inclined his head to check, but didn't see anything. Still, he gripped the handle of the gunblade in his left hand, just in case he needed to draw his weapon. He saw Instructor Trepe doing the same.

He was about to continue walking, when he saw the movement again. This time, he withdrew the Revolver from its scabbard and raised it in front of him, waiting for whatever it was to come out. The instructor had stopped a few feet away, and held her chain whip at the ready. They waited a few seconds but whatever it was didn't come out of hiding.

Then they heard a bubbling from behind and Squall heard Instructor Trepe shout at him, "Look out!"

Squall whirled around in time to be forced to the ground as a blast of flame shot overhead. Thankful that his reflexes were still in working order, he took the opportunity to see what it was that attacked him. The monster was round like a ball, with only a pair of arms spoiling the illusion of a sunburned beach ball. Its mouth and the flame sitting at the top of its head reminded Squall of the earlier cadet's spiked up hair style. It sort of bobbed in midair, like a marionette was pulling strings in order to make it move like a puppet.

Instructor Trepe uncoiled her chain whip and slashed at the monster's side, pulling its attention away from the cadet. "Bombs!" she shouted. "We need to get rid of them quickly. If given the chance, they tend to explode."

_Terrific,_ Squall thought to himself and pulled himself up onto his feet, recalling what the instructor had told him about junctioning magic. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the cold despite the humid temperatures surrounding them, and willed the element to become a part of his weapon. He could feel the frigid ice running through his arms past his hands and through the hilt of his weapon. When he opened his eyes, he realized it had worked. The blade at the end of his weapon was smoking as though it had just come out of a freezer.

Still, he couldn't afford to waste any time marvelling at what he'd done. He charged forward, raising the gunblade into the air and slashing down, hitting the Bomb in a vertical slash. He stopped the blades movement, pulling the trigger on the holster. The bullet that had originally been in the chamber blasted out through the sword and hit its target with incredible accuracy. The Bomb made a squealing pained noise and attempted to slash at Squall with its small hands. Fortunately it was unable to reach him.

Squall pulled the trigger a second time, and then a third, and with the last bullet fired, the Bomb fell limp against the sword. When Squall lowered it, the monster slid off the blade, landing onto the ground with a sickening squelch.

Looking over towards the instructor, he saw her swing the whip into the air before catching another Bomb that had appeared (which also explained the plural form), but this one was bigger than the one Squall had taken down. It was almost twice the size. With the hit, Squall watched dismayed as the monster grew in size once more.

"Oh shit," the instructor cursed before turning to regard Squall. "Stand back!"

Taking a step back herself, she folded her arms across her chest before throwing them out in front of her, and a moment later particles of snow and ice began to surround the floating monster. The Bomb looked around itself, almost wondering where the element was coming from when a spear of ice protruded from the ground beneath it, skewering it where it floated. It was launched up into the air and an instant later, it fell to the ground, bouncing a couple of times before it rolled along the surface like a discarded ball in a playground.

"That was impressive," Instructor Trepe commented offhandedly. "You picked it up right away."

Squall didn't say anything, but the instructor seemed to take that as an excuse to continue. Smiling wryly, she added, "Most of the boys choke when I come along with them. I think my charm makes them nervous."

The cadet raised an eyebrow at the completely inappropriate comment, but she laughed and shrugged it off. "I'm just kidding. Trying to lighten up the mood is all. But in all seriousness, you _are_ doing remarkably well.

When she received no comment, Instructor Trepe sighed as the effects of the Blizzara spell dissipated, clearing the path up ahead. "Anyways, we'd better keep going. Those bodies might just attract even more unwanted attention."

And with that, the pair set off further down the cavern.

* * *

It watched them as they fought the two bombs, both of them wielding the magic that he dare not approach. It'd assumed the monsters might have done them in, but it should have known better; the only people to ever dwell into its cavern were SeeDs and their cadets.

It snarled in his growing displeasure, loathing the very thought of mortals hanging around its dwellings. However, it had a contract with the nearby Garden – to come into its home, kill its monsters, and to trample upon its molten earth all for the purpose to procure a simple test. Nevertheless, it still felt like an invasion whenever these foolish beings travelled to the centre of the cavern to take a stone from its bed. It was disgusting, an insult.

It continued to watch as the mortals continued along their way, destroying Bomb after Bomb and Buel after Buel, and Bat after Bat. It felt their pain as they fell to the steel the mortals wielded; humans were such violent creatures. It knew they were headed towards the pit where it normally slept; it could never sleep whilst they were inside the cavern; knowing of their presence.

But unlike all the times past, this was far different; the time limit that they had agreed upon had expired, and yet they were inside, making a last ditch attempt to intrude upon it. This time, it had nothing holding it back; the contract had said nothing about extending the limits.

Foolishly these arrogant mortals chose to intrude upon its personal space, and if it had its way, they would not be leaving alive.

* * *

They'd managed to reach the centre of the cavern in good time; they still had about twelve minutes to spare. Squall guessed he'd been right in choosing the amount of time he took. There was no way he would have made it back to the entrance in only two minutes.

"I guess I was right," the instructor disturbed the welcomed silence once more as they reached the bridge leading to the pit that lay ahead. "You and Seifer are in a class of your own."

Squall regarded her for a moment, and once again she mistook it as an invitation to continue, "You both have amazing potential. It's a shame he keeps failing the exams."

The instructor sighed heavily before offering the cadet a smile. "Let's just hope you don't make the same mistakes he has."

The teenager frowned thoughtfully. He didn't like being pitted in the same category as Seifer, but at the same time he couldn't help but wonder. Both had been at the Garden for longer than either of them could remember and had been rivals ever since they'd first met. They both trained with gunblades and got into trouble with one another at regular intervals, so he supposed it was difficult not to associate one with the other. Still, it was irritating.

The bridge that separated them from the pit was very narrow. It was wide enough only to support one person, so they started across in single file. Squall assumed that the reason for the width was the lava surrounding them. It must have eaten away at the rock and, eventually, there would be no path to cross over. He suspected the source of the lava to have been the pit; it was still flowing with the magma.

They reached the other side, which turned out to be sort of a small island that housed the pit. It didn't lead to anywhere, though Squall suspected the cavern continued further down through the pit. He wouldn't have been surprised had he been right.

Still, it was almost over; despite the run-ins with the monsters along the way, he couldn't help but be surprised at how easy it had been. Now all he needed to do was pick up one of the orbs in front of the pit and they could head back with plenty of time to spare.

Taking in a calming deep breath, he started forward, but after a moment he stopped, watching the pit carefully. He thought he'd seen some movement. Looking back at the instructor, he watched her nod as she grabbed a hold of the hilt of her chain whip. She'd seen it too. "I think we'd better hurry it up."

Squall nodded back and reached forward to grab one of the orbs when the ground shook beneath him. Righting himself, he withdrew the Revolver from its holster and heard the cracking sound that signalled the Instructor had done the same with her whip. He backed away from the pit slowly, weapon still raised.

"Grab the damn orb and let's go." The instructor's tone was hard. It was her attempt at trying to remain calm and in the authority position, but Squall could tell that something was wrong; Instructor Trepe had been here a number of times, and the look on her face told him when he turned to regard her that this had never happened during any of those other trips.

He moved forward again and reached out to grab the round object but paused momentarily when he saw lava rising out of the chasm in front of him. It had been doing that before, but now the lava was moving at an increased rate. Scowling and knowing what would happen if he left empty handed, Squall reached forward, clutched one of the small objects and pulled his gloved hand away quickly, just as the molten substance hit the ground.

"Hurry up!" the instructor shouted, even as Squall backed away from the chasm, but as they turned to leave, they watched as the lava surrounding them on all sides pooled in front of them, rising quickly upward until it formed a solid wall. Scowling, Instructor Trepe raised her free hand and shot a blast of ice at it, only to watch as the obstruction and the crystallized element broke apart as the fiery element the wall was born from melted it.

Both of them exchanged glances between each other before turning their attention back to the frothing chasm; the lava bubbling up faster and faster. Whatever touched the rock surrounding the gorge would be overlapped as more followed. Squall didn't know if the island they were standing on would be completely covered in it, or if they could even get away, but from the increased magma activity there could only be one reason it was happening:

Something was coming from below.

A moment after the thought had crossed his mind, something did leap out from inside the chasm. From all the stories he'd heard of the Guardian Force that lived in the cavern, he never quite compiled a mental image of what it would look like. It was brown with red fur around his neck, down its torso and back, behind its knees and elbows and around its groin. When it landed onto the ground, it caused it to shake, nearly throwing both instructor and cadet off balance.

Landing on hoofed feet, Squall immediately decided that it looked to be a cross between a wolf and a lion, with long horns reminiscent of a goat's protruding from either side of its head. While it did stand on hind legs, its arms and clawed hands looked more than capable of supporting its weight should it choose to charge on all fours. Two earrings sat upon the creature's long ears and its bronzy coloured eyes glared between the two humans, its fanged-teeth bared.

Squall stepped forward, placing the orb he'd grabbed into his jacket pocket. Done with that, he steadily held the Revolver in front of him, and the movement he caught from the corner of his eye told him that the instructor was prepared to fight. With his legs spread beneath him, he rooted his feet into the ground, in case he was put in a position to guard. Somehow he had the feeling the Guardian Force wasn't going to let them go.

He no longer doubted the stories he'd heard during his tenure at the Garden; staring him down was proof that they were true.

"Pathetic mortals!" the creature boomed – Squall hadn't been aware that it could talk. "Interlopers! Fools! You dare to tread where you do not belong? So be it. You're foolish curiosity will doom you. For trespassing into my territory you will never leave here alive."

The monster – Guardian Force – charged forward, but Squall and the instructor had the mindset to duck the attack, watching as the GF's fist rammed into the wall. As Squall scrambled back onto his feet behind the creature, he realized that the GF's fist hadn't done a thing to it. Turning to look at Instructor Trepe, he realized she'd had the same plan, to get the GF to break down the wall itself. He realized he should have known it was too easy, but he'd gotten his hopes up anyway.

The Guardian Force turned around, but in its hand Squall realized it was holding a ball of fire. It threw it at them, the instructor stepping forward and intercepting the fire ball with a blizzard spell; the blasts connected and cancelled each other out. Growling in fury, the creature charged them again and, thinking quickly, Squall leapt forward, catching the instructor around the waist and forcing her down, even as the monster flew overhead. Turning around, Squall saw it land in a four-legged crouch, turning around and glaring at them.

The instructor rose to her feet quicker than Squall, raised her whip and threw her arm out, sending the dagger attached to the whip flying towards the Guardian Force. The blade was smoking and when it dug into the Guardian's shoulder, it cried out in pain. The instructor wrenched her whip back and snapped it into the air, trying to intimidate the Guardian Force. It didn't work. The GF grabbed a hold of the whip and pulled, forcing the instructor off her feet. When she was at eye level with the ten-foot behemoth, Squall realized she had it where she wanted it when she threw out her arm and hit it in the face with another blast of ice.

In response, the Guardian tossed her aside, and she landed hard against the molten made wall. Squall took advantage of the monster's distraction and charged forward, concentrating as hard as he could on the ice element, and, feeling the refreshing frost as he raised the gunblade above his head, slashed down at the same time as the GF placed its hand back onto the ground. The blade bit into the appendage and even as the Guardian Force cried out in surprised agony, Squall pulled the trigger twice, feeling the weapon shake in his grip as the bullets ripped through the blade and into the monster's hand.

With its other hand, the GF swung, attempting to swat Squall away from it, but Squall backed away, removing his gunblade and swinging it in front of him as he charged forward, narrowly missing the Guardian's chest. The only thing on his mind currently was that he had to buy the instructor some time to recover.

He swung twice more, nearly catching it in the same place, but the Guardian retaliated by trying to knock him down with its left hand. Squall backed away, but it proved the initial attack was a feint; the Guardian grabbed a hold of Squall's leg with its other hand and raised the teenager off the ground, forcing him to hang upside down. As the Guardian prepared to slam him into the ground, Squall quickly concentrated on the Ice once again. Instead of sending it into the monster's face as his instructor had, he felt the magic coursing through his arms and legs, and it felt as though the temperature had dropped drastically around him.

The Guardian cried out as his leg – now the equivalent to frozen metal – seemingly burned its hand and tossed him much as it had the instructor. Squall felt his back collide with the wall and he winced in pain as he slid down. He'd known it was a risky move, but at least he'd done _some_ damage.

The GF growled once again and both its hands began to glow red; a sign that it was summoning more fire balls to throw at them. It looked as though it'd grown weary with toying with them.

Squall was about ready to dodge, but the instructor grabbed him by the arm. "Stay put," she said, and her hands began to glow a dull pink.

Frowning slightly, he looked between his instructor and the Guardian Force, wondering just what it was she was planning to do when the GF released the fire balls, both of which were hurtling straight towards them. Squall brought both arms up to protect him, knowing it would do him no good, but when all he felt was the uncomfortable heat wave coming from just in front of him, he looked up to find that they were just floating there. A moment later, they were absorbed into a sort of barrier which was glowing the same pink colour the Instructor's hands had a moment ago.

He looked over at her and discovered that both arms had been thrust in front of her; she had been responsible for the Shell spells that had protected them. "We don't have the time to be dealing with this," she said, her tone betraying her frustration.

"I don't really think it cares that we're on a time limit," Squall commented. He was forced to duck and took sight of yet another fire ball being absorbed into the shell shield as a wayward fire ball careened into the wall behind them. Still the wall stood tall without blemish.

"I'm not just talking about this test," the instructor said. "The longer we stay here, the higher our chances of being baked alive become. In case you hadn't notice, our surroundings aren't exactly hospitable for humans."

Squall frowned, realizing that she was right. If the GF didn't finish them off, then the heat most certainly would. "So what would you suggest?"

"I need some time. Do you think you can distract it for a moment?"

It didn't take long to process what she was talking about; the GF was a fire type, and that made him vulnerable to ice magic. But that didn't seem to slow it down, not nearly enough for them to escape.

So why not fight a Guardian Force with a Guardian Force?

He knew it'd be difficult; standing up against the GF thus far had proven to be a miracle. He didn't know how long he'd be able to distract it, but he would definitely give it a shot. His expression grave, he nodded in response and she smiled. "Be careful." She said.

Squall rose to his feet, gunblade gripped tightly in both hands as he charged forward. Keeping his concentration on ice, he prepared to slash at the GF, only to have the Guardian move at the last second. The teenager adjusted the grip on the gunblade and tried to do an arcing slash, hoping to catch the monster off guard. It worked. The blade bit into the monster's skin and it roared in its outrage.

Squall frowned when the blade came away easily, having hoped to take advantage of the trigger on the gunblade, but he hadn't slashed deep enough. So he attempted to slash at the Guardian again. This time, he missed due to the GF's quick reflexes. Ifrit backed away again as Squall attempted a third strike, narrowly missing the Fire God. Just as he was attempting a downward cleave, the GF caught him off guard at it charged forward. Striking out with its right hand, it slapped the cadet down, knocking him to the ground.

As Squall went to sit up, the GF's hand came down on his chest – hard – and knocked the wind out of him, forcing him to cough and draw in a shaky breath. The GF didn't stop there and began to apply pressure, pressing him harder into the ground. The teenager bit his lip in an attempt to stifle his cry of pain and reached over with his right hand trying to grab up his gunblade, which had been knocked out his reach as he'd been slammed into the ground.

Squall craned his neck to check on the instructor and realized that she'd just made contact with her junctioned GF. However, the look on her face was obvious conflicted. She didn't want to summon it in the chance that it would hurt him too. The cadet scowled, knowing that she hadn't had this in mind when she'd sent him out to distract the GF.

Thinking back to how he was able to utilize his magic spells with his weapons, he wondered if the same could be done to protect himself. If he'd been told about this in class, he sure as hell couldn't remember, but he figured that now was as good a time as any to test it. He nodded in her direction, signalling her to go ahead with the summoning. She looked hesitant, but Squall hoped she'd pull it together – it was already starting to get hard to breathe.

Closing his eyes tight and focussing as hard as he could on the frigid element, he hoped that he'd come out anything short of a crystallized figurine. A moment later he felt a gust of frozen wind shooting from the instructor's direction. The instructor summoned Shiva just as he'd guessed she would. Unlike Ifrit, who looked like a furry giant from ancient times, she was a petit woman with skin tinted blue and long blonde hair done up in an array of braids, dressed in what looked to be darker blue cloths that covered her chest and groin area. The cloth failed to cover anything else and she was left almost naked, her feet completely bare.

She folded her arms up into the air, which caused a lash of icy wind to coarse throughout the fire den and as the palm of her right hand rested against the back of her left, a ball of blue energy began to collect and grown, swarming with a foreign energy that should have been reduced to rainwater from the heat. An instant later, she released it in a wave, blanketing the ground beneath them with the icy element.

He felt the blanket of ice cover him and could feel the GF shudder from the cold; could hear it roar in agony of being exposed to its weakness. A moment later, he felt the ice dissipate, melting almost as quickly as when it came, taking the Ice Goddess with it.

He stayed as still as possible, pretending that the ice blast had killed him and tried to hold his breath to make the illusion real. He just hoped that the GF didn't think to feel for his heartbeat.

Squall got lucky. After a moment, the GF released its grip on his chest and he could feel the ground vibrate as it moved closer to the instructor. "They have Shiva…" he heard it mutter and guessed that the GF hadn't thought of the possibility that the Ice junction would be present. Still, the GF's attention was off of him, so he slowly pulled himself into a sitting position, grabbed his gunblade and circled behind it, hoping to catch it off guard this time. Continuing his concentration on the ice element, he crouched low before jumping up, landing onto the junction's back. Unfortunately, the Guardian straightened and Squall was forced to grab a hold of its shoulders to keep himself from being thrown off, dropping the gunblade onto the ground below in the process.

It roared in surprise and, probably, anger as it twisted and turned, attempting to swing Squall off. Still, the cadet held on tight, trying to hold onto his concentration. Thinking quickly, Squall removed his grip on the GF on his left side, tightening his hold on the right and, using his teeth, pulled off his glove to reveal his bare hand. With it he quickly pressed his palm against the GF's back, and his own pained cry was blotted out by the GF's roar of agony.

His hand, having started to tint blue due to the ice element, felt like he'd shoved it onto an active burner bib. Crying out as the pain grew even more excruciating, he realized he hadn't exactly thought this plan through. Still he pressed harder, eliciting another pained cry out of the Guardian, and finally the GF managed to wring Squall off, the cadet landing roughly onto his rear. He cradled his hand, checking it over for damage, but didn't have enough time to actually assess it. The GF had turned its back on the instructor and was trudging towards him.

Squall rose to his feet, knowing that his gunblade was on the opposite side of the GF. He let his injured hand drop and raised his other arm, palm opened and shot two blasts of blizzard spells right at the GF's face. The Guardian roared once again, but as it was about to swat him back, it stopped when a large cone of ice shot up from the ground where it was standing. Seeing passed the GF, he saw the instructor, raising her arm in order to cast another Blizzara.

Squall didn't think twice. As soon as the ice had dissipated, he charged forward and dove, falling into a roll and manoeuvring himself between the GF's legs. The GF tried to stomp on him, but Squall was moving too fast; it stomped on the ground instead. He'd stopped rolling and landed into a crouching position when another ice cone shot out from the ground, causing the Guardian to roar out in pain.

"Are you alright?" The instructor shouted.

Inspecting his hand once more, he decided that he was going to need to see Dr. Kadowaki before the actual exam. That was if he was going to get out of this alive. "I'll live."

The instructor nodded once more and raised her hand to summon another spell. However, the GF raised its clawed hand. At first Squall thought the GF was going to cast a spell of its own, but when nothing happened, he realized it was a sign for them to stop. "No more," it growled out.

After a moment, it stumbled back and fell onto one of its knees, finally showing signs of slowing down. The instructor didn't release the spell she had begun to summon, and opted to watch the GF in case this was a trick. "For me, Ifrit, God of Fire, to lose to two Humes like this…"

It growled deep in its throat, a sign that it was displeased with being force to admit this. "I did not expect you to possess Shiva, nor to be this strong."

Squall immediately realized what it was trying to confess but wouldn't outright say; it had underestimated them. Squall didn't think so. Had the instructor not summoned Shiva or come to his aid, he was pretty sure he'd be dead right now.

"I admit defeat; I will allow you both to leave this cavern and…" it added with an undertone of distaste, "I will join you."

Almost instantly after Ifrit said those words, it began to glow a bright red colour that nearly blinded both Instructor Trepe and Squall. As the teenager raised his arms in front of their faces to shield their vision, Squall felt the left side of his jacket begin to shake; the orb he'd taken prior to the fight then shot out of his pocket and, falling to the ground, it rolled beneath the junction, where the light sudden exploded in its intensity.

When the light finally faded, Squall chanced a look and found that the orb was glowing a red that almost made it appear translucent. Stepping forward, he inspected it closely. It looked like an overgrown marble made of some manufactured crystal.

"Well, _that_ was unexpected," Instructor Trepe said offhandedly, diminishing the Blizzara she'd been about to cast.

He'd always wondered why these orbs were so important. He'd just assumed it was a means of proving he'd reached the center of the cavern. But thinking about it, he realized that had been too simple a notion. It seemed as though this 'prerequisite' was a means of obtaining Guardian Force orbs – the object in which an acquired GF slumbered when it wasn't junctioned to a SeeD. He frowned. He didn't exactly revel the idea of having come all this way on an errand.

Behind him, the instructor cursed and Squall turned to regard her. Her expression was tight, but there was some kind of panic to it. "We've got five minutes to head back to the entrance of the cavern."

Immediately shooting up to his feet, he closed his eyes, concentrating on the fire that surrounded him on all sides. After a moment, he felt a pressure, as though something were trying to invade his mind. He willed himself to continue concentrating and finally he opened his mind, hearing the familiar growl of the GF they'd miraculously defeated. He didn't know if junctioning it was going to be a good idea, but at least he could tell the GF to keep the monsters in the cavern off his tail – at least until after they got outside.

"Then we'd better get going."

The wall still stood in front of them. Squall assumed that without Ifrit backing its power they'd be able to cut through it. Lifting up the Revolver, Squall focused on the Ice one last time before swinging his blade in a downward slash. The weapon bit into the now cooling rock and after another slash it broke apart completely, leaving their path clear. Without a word, Squall continued on, the instructor not too far behind.


	5. Chapter IV: Rite of Passage

**Edited: **_01/27/09_

**Edited: **_05/19/10_

* * *

**Chapter IV:  
Rite of Passage**

* * *

They'd both run the rest the entire way, weaving down the winding path, the only sounds around them being the crunching of booted feet hitting the pavement and the always flowing magma that surrounded them on all sides. He was bruised, beaten and battered, but thankfully Ifrit was living up to his (at least Squall assumed it was a 'he') part of the bargain. Since the Guardian Force's defeat, not a single monster had attacked them

They made it out of the cavern with barely thirty seconds to spare and, once they were out, Squall instantly fell to his knees gasping for breath even as he began to tend his wounds. The healing properties of the cure spells worked wonders. His hand didn't feel so burnt anymore, though there was still evidence of them along the palm, and the pain was still there. Deciding it was better to be safe than sorry, the trip to the infirmary was first-most in his mind once they returned to the Garden.

"Oh _no_!" He heard his instructor shout.

Squall's attention immediately shifted from what he was doing. He saw the instructor looking this way and that, as though searching for something. Squall hadn't been aware that anything was missing. His mind had been solely focused on his injuries and how badly they would interfere with the exam. Before he could begin figuring the mystery out however, the instructor solved it for him.

"They're _gone_! I can't believe that they just _left_ us like that!"

Before Squall could even ask who she was talking to, he realized he didn't need to; the two Garden Faculty members who'd let them into the cavern were missing. They were supposed to stay behind and wait for the student and instructor to return, but he figured it had something to do with paperwork. All the same it was disconcerting.

Still, he couldn't see why Instructor Trepe was so angry about it. She visibly shook on the spot, her hands balled into fists at her side. "The audacity of those, those…" She growled deep in her throat, probably preventing herself from cursing. "Just wait until the Headmaster hears about _this_."

Whirling around to face Squall, she scowled. He knew it wasn't directed at him, that she was just frustrated by the whole situation. "We just lost our ride back to the Garden."

Squall stared at her blankly. "What?"

The instructor sighed, though it did nothing to alleviate her mood. "It's standard protocol. Both SeeD support and student come here on foot, complete the task and then one of the Garden Faculty is to drive us back in a Garden car. It's a means of rotating the Garden Faculty around when they're guarding this place, but it's also quicker and allows the student to rest."

She took another look around and her scowl deepened as, this time, she did curse. "They took the car too…"

"So we have to hike all the way back?" Squall asked. He'd sort of believed that's what they would have to do anyway, and the prospect hadn't seemed all that appealing before. Now it was even less so.

The instructor nodded. "I don't believe this; the exam starts at 1600. It's going to take us at least three hours to get back to the Garden, and it's…" she stopped in order to check her watch and cursed again, "already 1235. At this rate we might miss the meeting time."

Squall frowned but inside he was thunderstruck. What was the point of taking the prerequisite if he was going to miss out on the exam at this rate? And if he did somehow turn up on time there was no guarantee that they'd allow him to go anyway. He'd attempted the test _after_ the procured deadline. Not to mention he didn't have very much time to get ready. The trip to the infirmary might have to wait for a while and Squall was suddenly very glad he'd thought to pick up more aspirin before this trip, though he wondered if he'd be able to use the gunblade as effectively with the burns on his hand.

The instructor went to pull at her hair but instead opted to make a frustrated sound from her throat, cursing the Garden Faculty for stranding them there. Still, the prospect of missing out because of a technicality was first most in Squall's mind. "Instructor, what'll happen when we get back?"

Instructor Trepe seemed to read his mind; after all they'd been through, would he still be eligible to take part in the field exam. "Don't worry about that. You _will_ participate. I'll make sure of that." She sounded certain and that alleviated his worries… a little. "But our first concern is actually getting there on time. I'm supposed to be drawing up the team assignments."

"So then they can't start without you?"

The instructor shook her head. "If I don't show up on time, they'll just get someone else. That's _not_ going to happen if I can help it, but we'll have to be quick. I hope you're not too tired from the test."

Squall didn't even offer her a response.

* * *

By the time they'd returned to the Garden, both of them were covered in sweat and breathing heavily. They hadn't been able to run the entire way, but the pace they had been walking at was rather brisk. Whenever they'd spotted a monster in the forest or on the fields, they'd made sure they avoided it (or them as the case was) and had been fortunate that they'd been able to do so successfully. They hadn't stopped once during their trek until they'd reached the gate at the Garden.

"There's not much time, so I'll be quick," Instructor Trepe said once she'd caught her breath. She checked her watch and smiled grimly. "It's now 1525. Go do what needs to be done and meet in the hall in front of the directory at 1600 hours. Be sure to be in your uniform and don't be late."

That said, the instructor turned her back on him, squared her shoulders and left. Squall assumed she was going straight to the Headmaster to complain about the Garden Faculty and to report that he'd completed the prerequisite.

He allowed himself to sigh in relief, now that she was gone. He didn't know exactly what the faculty had been thinking when they'd ditched them, but he had a feeling that office politics were at the root of it. Still, it wasn't any of his business and he was glad that he wasn't involved.

When he could at least breathe normally, he started into the Garden, intent on showering before he did anything else.

* * *

By the time he'd gotten out of the shower, there was still fifteen minutes before he had to meet everyone in the hall. He quickly towelled off and changed into his school uniform – a dark blue jacket and a pair of pants of the same colour. He still wore his boots, the chain he always wore around his neck and the ring he had been wearing during the exam. He checked the last object over quickly – hoping he hadn't done any damage to it when he'd touched Ifrit. Surprisingly enough the ring seemed as sturdy as ever.

He'd attempted to locate his gloves – he couldn't remember where he'd put them before getting into the shower, but after a few minutes of searching he gave up; he didn't have the time. He reloaded his gunblade and stored some extra ammunition in the straps on his right leg, grabbed a set of combat knives in case he needed them, packed emergency provisions and left the room for a quick visit with the infirmary physician.

His hand had been inspected ("You've gone off and injured yourself again_ already?_" Dr. Kadowaki had exclaimed), but there wasn't much damage done. It'd been wrapped up in a bandage after the doctor had administered some ointment for the burns, with the guarantee that he'd still be able to use the gunblade comfortably. He had left shortly thereafter and had arrived at the front hall with a few minutes to spare.

Like the instructor had predicted earlier on, there weren't many people participating in the exam. He guessed at an upwards of ten, twelve at the most. From where he was standing, he caught sight of the girl he'd met earlier outside of homeroom; she was talking amicably with two other SeeD candidates. As far as he could tell, she was the only girl participating. Either way, the number of people present made the hall they stood in seem that much larger.

Rather than manoeuvre his way over to mingle, however, he opted to stay where he was, keeping an eye out for Instructor Trepe for his assignment.

After a moment, he saw her. The instructor had changed back into her SeeD uniform, and was walking over towards the directory. He figured she must have seen him and his suspicions were validated when she stopped on the other side of the directory before offering him an assuring smile. Apparently she'd managed to convince the higher ups to allow him to participate after all and he allowed a discrete sigh of relief to escape him as he watched her move away from the directory.

Moving away from the directory, he heard the instructor clear her throat and call for everyone's attention. It wasn't long before she had it and she spoke, her voice echoing throughout the empty hall. "As all of you must know from the messages you've received from your inboxes, you are to wait with the instructor overseeing your group as well as your teammates. Once you are in your respective groups, you may then start towards the Garage where you will journey to Balamb Town via Garden cars. Once there, you shall receive your mission briefing. Good luck to you."

Squall frowned. He _knew _he'd forgotten to do something before coming here. Since he now knew that he would be participating in the exam, he now knew that he would have been emailed the specifics. With the craziness of returning to the Garden in time for the actually meeting, it had completely slipped his mind. Scowling, he figured he would have to find some means of finding his group while being discreet about it. The last thing he needed was another comparison to Seifer, who would've simply been seen it fit for his group to come to him.

Fortunately, the instructor seemed to know this because she instantly approached him and remarked almost too quietly for him to hear, "I should have mentioned this before leaving you at the Front Gate, but you're in Squad B. I'm the instructor in charge though. There's no cause for concern."

The cadet nodded, not at all sure whether he should be relieved or annoyed by the news. The instructor didn't say anything else on the subject, simply searching out the other two cadets who were assigned to her squad. On most missions, Squad teams were made up of teams of three, one of which would perform as the Squad leader.

Deciding that he might as well make himself useful rather than just stand there, he turned to address the instructor, "Who else is on this team?"

She checked her clipboard to double check the name before answering, "Zell Dincht from Class F2. A bit of a lively young man, from what I've heard at least."

Lively was a gross understatement. Squall knew exactly who Zell was. He was a loud mouthed teenager, a previous roommate, and extremely annoying in his opinion. If hyperactive had a picture next to the definition in the dictionary, then Zell's face would be plastered right next to it. He knew the other boy meant well at times but he was quick to anger and blew up at the littlest things. Suffice it to say, Zell was not exactly the kind of person Squall had had in mind when he'd considered his team members.

"Lively?" Squall echoed, folding his arms across his chest even as the instructor continued searching Zell out. "He's just loud. Can't I switch members?"

The instructor shook her head. "Sorry, but it's the final draft. If I changed teams because members couldn't get along for _you_, I'd have to do it for everyone else, and that would take time. He's one of Instructor Aki's students, and a great martial artist, or so the instructor says. I'm sure he'll be alright to deal with. And at any rate, you don't really have any room to complain."

Frowning, Squall knew she was right, he could have just as easily been stuck in study hall with everyone else who wasn't participating. Still, she didn't have to throw it back in his face. Instead of complaining, however, Squall simply shrugged in response and resumed searching, leaving the instructor to do the same.

After nearly a minute of searching, Squall finally spotted him. The blonde cadet was shadow boxing in the hall, apparently waiting for the instructor in charge of his squad to find him. Either he didn't know Instructor Trepe well enough to point her out from within a crowd or he was being lazy. Either way, he wasn't making any move to seek out his group. Squall wasn't at all surprised. He'd always assumed the fighter had Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. If anything took more than a minute and didn't hold his attention to begin with, he'd start shadow boxing to pass the time. He'd fall into the same pattern if something upset him and he knew he couldn't do anything about it right away.

Instructor Trepe must have spotted him too, because she called out to him. Zell immediately turned to look in their direction but, instead of walking over to them like a normal person, Zell flipped himself up onto his hands and back flipped over to them, landing into a crouch right in front of them. At least he had the sense to salute the instructor when he straightened up. "Zell Dincht, reporting for duty, sir, um, ma'am."

The instructor nodded at his enthusiasm, but when Zell's eye caught sight of him, he broke out of the salute and stared at Squall as though he were a ghost. "Dude! I'm with _you_? Awe_some_!"

Squall thought the prospect of working with Zell was a far cry from 'awesome', but opted to keep his comments to himself. At least he knew what Zell was capable and there were far less appealing choices to be stuck with than the hyperactive youth. The brawler quickly wiped his knuckle-gloved-hand on his pants before outstretching that same hand for Squall to shake. Instead, Squall stared at the offered hand and at the cadet but did nothing. Taking the hint, Zell's arm returned to his side. "Better you than Seifer. You don't get along with him, right?"

Squall didn't comment. Not only was it a stupid question (anyone with a brain could tell that just by the rumours that spread around Garden like wildfire), but it was the last subject that he wanted to talk about, given the circumstances. Still, Zell seemed to feel the opposite, because he continued even as the instructor sought out their third and final team member. "Yo, I heard this rumour, but I wanna confirm it before I go sayin' anything. I heard you and Seifer got in a fight this mornin'. Also heard he whooped you pretty bad too."

Frowning, Squall shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He really didn't want to talk about this, but he knew from experience that Zell wouldn't shut up until he answered. Besides, hearing that Seifer was claiming that he'd won just irritated him. He couldn't help but become defensive as he commented, "We weren't fighting. We were training."

"That's not how _I'm_ hearing it," Zell said, seemingly astonished that Squall wasn't making a big deal about this. "I've been hearing that Seifer challenged you to a fight this mornin' and not only did you show up late, but he kicked your ass."

Squall glared at him and Zell put his hands up in defence. "Hey, I'm just tellin' you what I heard. I think you should straighten it out. Seifer's not saying anything about it. He's just lappin' up all the attention. If anything, I think he _started_ that rumour to begin with."

_Wouldn't_ _be unlike him_, Squall thought.

When Squall didn't say anything Zell heaved a sigh and started talking again. "Okay, I get it. But if you're not gonna try fixin' it, then just ignore Seifer. He's just being an asshole."

"That's none of your…" Squall started but he heard the instructor clear her throat.

When he turned to regard her, he noticed that she was looking at the both of them with a somewhat guilty expression. He raised an eyebrow; he had a sinking feeling that this wasn't the worst of it. "Normally, you're not supposed to know this until you assemble, but in this case I think it would be best if I made an exception."

Squall and Zell exchanged glances between one another as the instructor's guilty expression deepened. "I hate to break this to you, but Seifer's on this team."

Zell's jaw dropped at the same time as Squall's eyes widened. Especially with what had happened earlier on in the day, Squall couldn't possibly imagine what was going through the Headmaster's mind putting the pair of them together. What with Seifer always picking on Zell, the three of them on the same team was not what Squall would have thought to be the smartest move. But it was what she'd said before the declaration that had him on edge. She'd easily told him that Zell was in this particular Squad, but it made no sense for her to have done so if she wasn't supposed to. That had to mean there was something more.

"Say _what_?" Zell shouted in his shock.

"It gets worse," the instructor said and Squall wondered exactly how could it get any worse. Unfortunately, the instructor proved her statement to be true. "He's been appointed as the Squad leader of this team."

"Aw crap," Zell said, kicking at something unseen on the ground. "We're doomed. The world's gone crazy."

"More like the administrators have," Squall commented, mirroring Zell's shock. He was staring at the instructor critically now, wondering how this could have even happened. At least his unvoiced suspicions had been answered, but now he wished he'd never been told.

"I understand how you feel, but I was overruled when I argued against the decision." the instructor explained. " Seifer's at the top of the class, which seems to mean he's ideal for the role. Not to mention his past experience from previous exams."

"If he's so good, why the hell isn't he a SeeD yet?" Zell snapped back, still in shock.

"I think we all know the answer to that," the instructor answered grimly. Squall at least did. While he'd never been present in any of the exams for obvious reasons, he could still wager a guess. It wouldn't be too hard to believe that Seifer's massive ego and his disregard for orders and rules had to be behind the constant failing reports. "But maybe being in charge will give him something to think about."

"Oh I bet it will," Zell said bitterly. "It'll give him ideas on how torture us _all_."

A moment later, the whole hall fell into a hushed silence and when Squall looked up from his own mental musings to investigate, he immediately realized why. Coming down the stairs from the elevator was an older dark haired man. He wasn't very tall, and wore a red vest overtop the white shirt that covered his portly frame, with a pair of black pants that matched the colour of his dress shoes. He wore a blue tie and a pair of silver-rimmed glasses. While he looked as though he belonged in a college classroom teaching a bunch of students, he held himself like a man in the military.

Everyone standing before this man fell into the proper salute as Headmaster Cid Kramer reached the bottom of the stairs and moved to stand beside the directory. "Is everyone here?" Squall heard the headmaster asked Instructor Trepe.

"Role call has already been done," Instructor Trepe commented, holding her clipboard tighter, "though according to a few of the cadets, Morgan came down with the flu. Should we add a SeeD member to fill in the empty space?"

"That won't be necessary," Headmaster Kramer waved off. Squall frowned thoughtfully at the response, since the instructor had mentioned something about redrafts in order to replace him. It seemed odd that this other guy's absence from the exam wasn't being handled the same. Nevertheless, he chose to say nothing. "Is there anyone else missing?"

"Seifer has yet to grace us with his presence."

The Headmaster sighed. "Once we're done here, give him five minutes, otherwise leave without him and appoint another Squad leader. We don't have time for his games."

The instructor nodded as he turned his attention towards the rest of the students.

"It's been a while," the headmaster started, though Squall knew he wasn't talking about the last time they'd seen him. "For some, it's been a long road with bumps and obstacles standing between you and this day. For others, it has been smooth sailing. But for all of you, today is the day to take what you have learned and to overcome this greatest obstacle.

"Now I'm not going to lie to you. Today you will be facing a real battle field. Most of you will realize that the road you have traveled still continues further before you can achieve your goal, but a few of you will come to the end of your journey. The exam that is to come is one that will prove whether or not you are ready for the mantel that the title SeeD will bestow upon you all.

"Normally, I would be talking to a larger crowd, however due to the suddenness of this exam, it only serves that the number of participants is drastically decreased. As you have probably already been told by this time, each cadet will be placed in a three-man cell, each headed by an instructor. Furthermore, three teams of SeeD members will also be accompanying you on this exam. Should your team fail to accomplish your objective, they will succeed; they always do.

"Remember that you must conduct yourselves with an equal level of obedience and common sense that will lead to the success of the mission objective. Always remember that SeeD is an elite military force. Above all else, you must remember that you represent Balamb Garden and each and every one of you must do what it takes to make the Garden proud. Learn from the SeeD members accompanying you today; show that you have learned all you can from the instructors that have taught and guided you to this moment; prove that you all belong where you stand here today. Prove that you have what it takes to join the ranks of SeeD!"

His words echoed off the walls and ceiling surrounding them; not a single cadet made a noise. The weight of what he was about to partake in today hit Squall and he did his best to stand tall, keeping his back rigid. This was the moment he had trained for since attending the Garden, and there was no way he was going to let all his training go to waste.

Chancing a glance around him, he saw that the Headmaster's speech had the same effect on everyone else; each cadet standing in the hall was slightly taller than they had been before the Headmaster's appearance. He knew it was going to be difficult, but that wasn't nearly enough to scare him away from this challenge, this milestone, in his life.

The Headmaster stood standing, like an experienced public speaker, waiting for his words to have the full effect on the students before he humbly pulled his arms behind him, clasping his hands together and taking in the cadets standing before him. Everyone knew the risks of this exam; everyone knew that there was a chance that they may not return to the Garden, and yet here they stood, willing to risk it all for a chance to prove themselves.

"All I can offer you are wishes of good fortune," he said quietly, though they all could hear every word. "So that is all I will say."

And that said, the entire room saluted the elder man, their expressions set, their decisions made. Headmaster Kramer nodded in acknowledgement and, though they replaced their arms at their side, they remained in an attentive stance.

Immediately afterwards, the instructors began issuing the orders to head over to the Garage and as soon as most of the cadets had set off, the Headmaster headed back up the stairs, presumably returning to his office. However, Instructor Trepe hadn't issued any orders; they were still waiting for Seifer to show up. It was just like him; to take his time and make a big entrance, thus spinning the whole thing to make it all about him. He'd always been a bit of a show off.

The instructor checked her watch and sighed. "If he doesn't show up soon we're going to have to leave him behind."

"Relax Instructor."

All three of them turned around and saw Seifer coming from the direction of the Infirmary, Fujin and Raijin in tow. Zell stood his ground and fixed them with a glare; Squall assumed by the reaction that the he hadn't forgotten the Disciplinary Committee's past treatment of him.

The instructor fixed Seifer with an irritated glare. "Glad you decided to grace us with your presence."

"What can I say?" Seifer said, gesturing elaborately. "It's tough being the head of the Disciplinary Committee, but someone's gotta keep the other students in their place."

Zell muttered something uncomplimentary, most likely still upset over his earlier encounter with the other cadet in the cafeteria, but Squall wasn't paying much attention to him. Seifer frowned suddenly, looking around them before saying, "Where'd everyone go?"

"To the Garage," the instructor answered simply. "They're already on their way to the exam site. I suppose they got tired of waiting for you."

She sighed, clearly exasperated by the whole mess. "At any rate, you know your team assignment; you're in Squad B, which I will be presiding over."

"Wonderful," Seifer said, shrugging his shoulders. The tone he used indicated that her presence was anything but. He first looked at Zell, who glared back, and when he caught sight of Squall, his expression faltered for a moment. He managed to regain control of himself and turned to address the instructor. "What a team we make."

"You better appreciate it," the instructor's tone was sharp. "You're the Squad leader. Good luck to you."

Seifer looked taken aback by the well-wishing before he cracked up laughing. Zell clenched his fists threateningly, though Squall knew he wouldn't try anything in front of Instructor Trepe. "Instructor," Seifer said, as though he were lecturing a small child. "I _hate_ it when people wish me luck."

Fujin and Raijin exchanged glances and chuckled. Zell looked like he wanted to say something in the instructor's defence, but instructor's expression was still as calm as it had been when Seifer had first arrived.

"Save it for a bad student who really needs it," Seifer continued, looking back and Fujin and Raijin and feeding off of their expressions. "Like Dincht for instance. He'll need it."

"As you wish," the instructor said in an even tone. Zell looked like he couldn't believe the instructor was taking this, but Squall didn't like it when she suddenly grinned. "Good luck Seifer."

Zell howled with laughter, and Seifer's expression darkened. Squall didn't give a reaction, but Fujin and Raijin had immediately stopped laughing. The instructor just continued to smile at Seifer, waiting for a response, but instead, Seifer just glared. Shrugging, the instructor checked her watch, still smiling to herself. "We'd better hurry to the Garage. Our transport in Balamb won't wait forever."

She started walking in the direction of the Library, where it would lead to the Garage. Zell and Squall went to follow only Seifer grabbed Squall by the arm, forcing him to stop. "You didn't complete the prerequisite," Seifer said. "So why the hell are you here?"

"Who says I didn't?" Squall said, wrenching his arm free. "And I'm not missing the transport because you can't mind your own business."

And, without a backwards glance at Seifer, Squall followed Zell and the instructor further down the hall.


	6. Chapter V: Bloodied Hands

**Edited: **_01/27/09_

**Edited: **_05/19/10_

**

* * *

**

**Chapter V:  
Bloodied Hands**

**

* * *

**

Once they'd all arrived the Garage, the instructor had led them to the Garden car they would be using to get to town. While the officially appointed driver sat up in the front, the four teenagers sat in the back on benches along the side. The instructor and Seifer sat on one side with Zell and Squall on the other. Squall kept his gaze locked on the metallic floor beneath him, not wanting to engage either Seifer or Zell in conversation. It didn't look like the other two wanted to talk things out either, and so they were left with a terse silence that not even the instructor felt any sort of talk about revision was relevant enough to break.

Unfortunately, Zell started to fidget when only a couple of minutes passed, and Squall, who had been thinking up until that point, could hear him tapping his feet on the floor beneath them. He didn't dare look up at Seifer; it didn't appear to bother Seifer any, otherwise he would have spoken up. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Zell taking in the bland décor of the Garden car with a bored glance before he looked down. After another moment of silence, Zell finally broke it. "Hey Squall, can I see you're gunblade?"

Squall glared at him out of the corner of his eye but said nothing. He didn't let anyone touch his gunblade, not even the people at the junk shop, where he picked up supplies in order to repair and upgrade the weapon himself. He didn't care if they were professionals, he just didn't trust other people with his gunblade.

Besides; giving Zell a sharp object, especially given their present company just didn't seem like such a good idea.

"Did you hear me?" Zell tried again. "Show me your gunblade, will ya?"

Squall still remained silent.

Zell leaned back in his seat and, for a moment; Squall thought he was going to take a hint, except Zell turned back to look at him. "C'mon, just a peek?" He even put his hands together, like he was begging. Squall still said nothing. "Please?" The brawler tried, raising his clasped hands above his head.

When Squall still didn't respond, Zell slumped back against his seat. "Fine, be that way."

_Thank you, I will, _Squall thought to himself. _Now leave me alone._

"Why're you being so selfish, Scrooge?" Zell added on bitterly, probably trying to get him to talk.

_Because it's my gunblade, and I don't want you touching it._

A moment passed in silence until Zell suddenly whirled on him again. "Say somethin', will ya? You're freakin' me out, man! What's on your mind?"

Squall didn't answer at first, but Zell was still staring at him, waiting for an answer. Eventually, he did. "Nothing."

He heard an echo and realized that the instructor had said the same thing nearly at the same time. When he turned to glare at her, she simply coughed into her hand and sat up straight, attempting to look innocent when he knew she was anything but.

Squall looked over and saw that Zell was staring at the instructor strangely. There was no doubt that her added input had confused the blonde fighter, but he wasn't about to explain it to him. It wasn't any of his business. Zell sucked his teeth a moment later and stood up, bending his arms at the elbow and started punching the air, jumping as though he were fighting an invisible foe. Squall inwardly sighed; he'd known it was inevitable, especially given that he wasn't offering to entertain the other cadet.

He did this for a few minutes before Seifer's voice finally broke the silence that had fallen upon them again. "Stop that. It's annoying."

Zell stared at him for a moment, having been startled when the silence ended and eventually he slumped back into his seat, frowning at having nothing to occupy his time. After a moment, Seifer smirked, "Just like you are, Chickenwuss."

Zell's face turned red and he stood up quickly, balling a fist and shaking it at Seifer. "What the _hell_ did you just call me?" He shouted, causing Squall to wince. Seifer thought it was funny, however, because he just started laughing at him.

"Knock it off," Instructor Trepe snapped; having risen to her feet. Her hands were on her hips. "I'm not dealing with this. Not the entire way to Balamb."

In defeat, Zell sunk back into his chair, folding his arms across his chest and propping his foot over his knee. The expression on his face was all too clear, he was sulking. Seifer just sat back, continuing to snicker at Zell's expense. Once she was satisfied, the instructor sat back in her seat, shaking her head.

In the meantime, Squall wanted to ask her something, but he didn't really want to do so in front of Seifer, knowing fully well what he'd insinuate. Still, it had been bothering him since early this morning, and he needed to get it sorted out before the exam. Who knew when he'd get the opportunity to speak to her in private before they arrived? So he took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, steeling himself for what he knew was coming, "Instructor?"

The instructor looked up and waited patiently for him to say his piece. He could see Zell staring at him in shock, because he was actually starting a conversation, and he could feel Seifer watching him, no doubt wondering what he was up to. He just decided to get it over with. "Who was that girl in the infirmary?"

The instructor stared at him in surprise. Apparently that had been the last question she'd expected to hear from him. "I'm sorry?"

"There was a girl in the infirmary this morning," Squall elaborated. "Do you know who she is?"

Instructor Trepe shook her head in response. "I didn't see anyone besides you and Dr. Kadowaki this morning."

Squall frowned thoughtfully. If she hadn't seen the girl, then it was very likely Dr. Kadowaki hadn't seen her either. Maybe he was imagining things. It was very likely, considering the head wound he'd sustained. He suddenly felt very foolish for even broaching the subject, wishing that he'd never brought it up in the first place.

"Why?" the instructor prompted. "Is there a problem?"

Squall returned his gaze back to the floor, hoping that the subject would get dropped. "No. Not really."

He felt everyone's eyes on him and he wished very much that they would just look away and leave him be. A moment later, Seifer broke the silence again. "Did you're balls finally drop?"

"Seifer," The instructor said in a warning tone as Squall fixed Seifer with a glare. "That was rude."

"I can't believe it," Seifer continued, regardless of what the instructor had said. "_This_ is what I've got to work with; a hack instructor, a Chickenwuss and a guy who just discovered that women don't have 'cooties'."

"Seifer!" The instructor snapped again and Zell glowered at the Squad leader. "That's enough!"

"Just weighing my team is all," Seifer shrugged. "You know, with what I have to work with though, I have to say I'll be _very _shocked if either one of these greenies pass the exam."

"Greenies?" Zell snapped, rising to his feet again. Squall was very close to doing the same but instead narrowed his eyes in warning at the other gunblader.

"You heard what I said," Seifer said, leaning back in his seat. "Greenies. The only experience either one of you has ever had has been on a leash with a safety net to catch you when you fall."

"That's going too far, Seifer," Squall said, but Seifer laughed.

"Right… it's easy to kill a whole herd of monsters. They're fucking stupid and can't think like humans can. So when either one of you has actually killed a real human being without pissing your pants in the process,_ then_ come talk to me. Until then," Seifer looked out the window. Everywhere they looked they was surrounded by grassy plains and forests. "You're as green as the leaves on those trees."

Before Zell could say or do anything, the instructor rose to her feet, her hands on her hips once again. "I'm only going to say this once more. Shut up, Seifer."

"I'm only telling the truth," Seifer waved off.

"Yeah, you're right. They don't have as much experience in the field as you, but you know what? None of you can trump me in that department. So I suggest you sit there, and keep your mouth shut until someone actually _asks_ for your opinion."

Seifer just stared at her right back, but for her credit the instructor didn't back down. Eventually, Seifer snorted and looked away, turning to look at the door that they used to climb into the car. Both the instructor and Zell reclaimed their seats and, after a moment, Squall redirected his gaze to the floor.

The rest of the ride passed them by in silence.

* * *

Balamb was the only continent in the world that was also its own country. Nevertheless it was still a rather small country at that, with only one real town surrounded by communities comprised of farmland. In its defence, Balamb Town was more like a Port City than a real town. It's most popular commodities were its beachers, its hotel and its famous Balamb Fish. Tourists from other cities and even countries came via boat or train just to sample the delicacy in any of Balambs fine dining establishments. Despite this knowledge however, the residence of the city were quiet and peaceful, enjoying the perks of living in a place that very rarely saw the abysmally cold winters or uncomfortably humid summers that the rest of the world was plagued with.

The Garden car drove right through the city limits and passed the car rental store. It continued its trek down the street, passing by houses and shops along the way. It only took them a few minutes to get from the city limits to the docks. When the car finally stopped, all three cadets and the instructor climbed out, the latter closing the door behind them.

"There it is," the instructor said, pointing the vessel out for them. It was a blue submersible with a small deck and a machine turret attached, possibly in case they ran into any trouble. Squall could tell it was SeeD issue; what would a peaceful town like Balamb want with submersibles with firearms? He also knew from what he'd learned in the classroom that submersibles especially only showed about a quarter of its real size above water, while the rest of the vessel was submerged beneath the surface.

"It's not going to wait for us forever," the instructor said as she started towards the dock. "We've got some catching up to do as it is. C'mon."

The instructor continued forward, Zell following closely. Squall took a moment to stare at the submersible, folding his arms across his chest as he took in the sight of it.

He felt someone's presence and when he turned to look, he realized that it was only Seifer. "This is it," Seifer said. "Ain't no turning back now."

Squall regarded him curiously for a moment. Seifer was one of those people who thought the world revolved around him but suddenly he was acting strangely. The comment was out of left field and it wasn't something the usually aggressive cadet would normally say aloud let alone in front of someone else. Still, there was no denying that he was right. Once he got on the vessel, he couldn't change his mind. He had to be absolutely certain that this was what he wanted. He thought back to all of the challenges he'd faced getting to where he was, to the constant training that he'd had to endure and even the events of that afternoon ran through him. There was no way he could turn back now, not after all that.

"Hey!" Someone shouted. When Squall looked ahead, he saw the Garden staff who'd driven them to that very spot waving at them. "You're _both_ gonna get left behind if you don't start moving!"

Squall went to do just that, but Seifer grabbed him by the shoulder, forcing him to stand next to him for a moment. When Squall regarded the elder boy curiously, there was something different about him that he couldn't touch upon. His facial expression didn't hold the arrogance it normally did. Instead there was something else. Squall wasn't sure what to make of it, but it didn't feel quite right.

"Don't disappoint me now," Seifer said, barely loud enough for Squall to hear, before following the instructor and Zell.

Squall stayed where he was for a moment, wondering what that was all about. He wasn't there to impress anyone, let alone Seifer of all people. He just wanted to take the exam. After a moment though, he decided that it wasn't important, and followed after everyone else.

Inside of the submersible was just as Squall had imagined it. Steel-coloured surroundings, and small windows near the ceiling. The men and women who controlled the submersible sat near the front with the operating technical machines and devices. The cadets and their instructor sat in the back on long metal benches. Zell sat at the far left hand side, the instructor sitting next to him. Squall sat across from her and beside him was Seifer, lounging against his seat with his feet up on the table that sat in front of them. Closest to Seifer and Zell was a monitor that Squall assumed was for briefings.

From what Squall had gathered, the SeeD teams would be accompanying the cadets on their trip, mostly with two SeeD members, which meant that one of the teams would only have one SeeD member on their ship. He also guessed that the SeeD members would be assembling with one another once they reached their destination, wherever that was.

No one had said anything since taking their seats; the only sound to disturb the silence was the humming of the engine as they headed to the exam location. After a moment even that was suddenly disturbed by footfalls that seemed to get louder as they got closer. He looked up to see a SeeD member entering the room; she had short brown hair that just barely reached her shoulders, and tanned skin. When she caught sight of the instructor, she grinned. "I got stuck with you?" she asked.

The instructor rose to her feet. "Likewise," she said, but, like the other SeeD, there was no indication in her tone of voice that she was serious. "It's good to see you again, Xu."

Squall had recognized her the moment she'd stepped into the room and judging by the surprised look on Zell's face, he had as well. Xu was not only an accomplished SeeD, she was the Lieutenant of Balamb Garden. While the Headmaster was responsible for the student body that made up the Garden populace, the Lieutenant was in charge of the ones who passed the Field Exam and became SeeDs.

The thought of her accompanying them made him wonder about the seriousness of the mission. Mostly her job was to look over mission applications and other forms of paperwork. It was very rare that the Lieutenant tagged along on a mission, let alone a Field Exam. Either she normally attended the Field Exam to validate the decision making process (which he doubted) or something big was happening.

From the corner of his eye, he caught Seifer look up at the Lieutenant's entrance and realized the elder cadet was thinking the same thing.

"Yeah, I haven't seen you since you got your license." Lieutenant Xu commented, oblivious of what Squall was thinking. "Been cooped up in that classroom all year."

"It's a nice change of pace," the instructor said. "But I must admit I've missed this." Instructor Trepe cleared her throat, before nodding towards the others. "These are the members of Squad B. Zell Dincht."

Zell fell into a salute. "Nice to meet ya."

The Lieutenant nodded at him, and he dropped the salute as the instructor continued with the introductions, "Squall Leonhart."

Squall mirrored Zell's actions, though he didn't offer anything to say. She nodded at him and he fell into an attentive stance.

"And…" Instructor Trepe started, but the Lieutenant cut her off, putting both hands on her hips.

"Seifer Almasy," she finished, fixing a cool stare at the Squad leader.

Seifer hadn't moved from his spot and returned the look with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Xu, what a delightful surprise. How's life been treating you?"

The Lieutenant must have noticed that he hadn't fallen into line like the others, but she chose to ignore it. She must have met him at some point. How else was it possible that could she have known him by name? "S'well," she said, her tone showing her displeasure at seeing him again. "What is this? You're third exam?"

"Hey, you know me," Seifer said. "Just love doin' this kind of thing. Plus it keeps the greenies on their toes."

"You must; you're here often enough," she commented before turning her attention back to the instructor. "Which one's the Squad leader?"

Instructor Trepe's expression shifted to a pained one as she indicated Seifer. Lieutenant Xu's expression – originally steely – gave way to shock as Seifer beamed at her in a somewhat gloating way. She redirected her look to the instructor, who shrugged in response. "It wasn't my call."

"Yeah, I'll say. I feel bad for you. For all of you," she said, directing the comment to Squall and Zell. "Good luck on the exam guys; you're certainly going to need it."

"Always a treat to see you too," Seifer said, propping his other foot on top of the table.

"Seifer, I told you…" the instructor started but the other SeeD stepped in.

"No, it's okay. If there're any scuff marks, then we'll just bill him." Smiling the same smile as Seifer, she moved passed the instructor to get to the front. Zell, noticing this, rose to his feet and allowed her to pass. Squall didn't need to assume that Seifer would have planted himself in her way just because he could; it was a given fact.

"I'm here to brief you on your mission," Xu started as the lights started to dim. A moment later, the screen – which had originally flashed the Garden symbol – flickered on, detailing a map. "First, our destination; we've left Balamb Harbour and are currently on course for the Lapin Beach in Dollet. Our client is the Dollet Dukedom."

"Obviously," Seifer muttered under his breath. Squall ignored him.

Apparently, so did the Lieutenant. "A request for SeeD was made eighteen hours ago. The town capital has been under attack by the neighbouring Galbadian Forces for the last seventy-two hours. It is unclear what their motives are, but the Dollet officials suspect that occupation is their goal."

Squall recalled that complete occupation of the entire continent had been Galbadia's objective for the last twenty years. It came as no surprise that they'd eventually set their sights on Dollet. For years the Dukedom had been fending off the Galbadian threat, however their border had been pushed back considerably. It had only been a matter of time before the Galbadians finally attempted to seize it all.

"As of forty-nine hours ago, Dollet's forces were forced to retreat into the mountains so, as of now, the Galbadians have control over the inner city," the Lieutenant continued. "Also, Dollet has been reorganizing their groups and are preparing for a counter attack. That's where SeeD comes in.

"According to Intelligence Reports, the Galbadian troops are beginning to mop up the Dollet troops in the mountain region in order to complete their occupation. Once we've touched down onto Lapin Beach, SeeD members will eliminate any and all Galbadian forces still within the city, then they will procees trying to make their way further. This should result in Dollet's liberation, the sooner the better."

"That's what _you_ have to do." Seifer pointed out, interrupting the SeeD. "So now that we've got all that cleared up, what do _we_ gotta do?"

Lieutenant Xu frowned, but answered regardless, "SeeD candidates will be given an area in the city to liberate. Specifically, Squad B will go to the Central Square and eliminate any Galbadian soldiers found there."

"Wow," Zell commented. "Sound's pretty important."

"No it doesn't," Seifer chastised. "It sounds boring."

Zell's expression gave away his confusion and he leaned forward, in order to hear what Seifer had to say. The Lieutenant and the instructor were also staring at him. "What she's trying to say is that while SeeD members take out the enemy, we just pick up the garbage that they just happened to miss."

The SeeD scowled at him, but didn't comment on it. "You will also stay in that position until notified otherwise. Also, your instructor will remain at the transport. It'll just be the three of you, _working together._" She was glaring at Seifer as she stressed the last two words, but Seifer paid her no mind. "Remember, teamwork is of the utmost importance, but ultimately whatever you're Squad leader says, goes. No matter how distasteful they may be."

The last remark was said under her breath, but Squall heard every word of it. Given the grin on Zell's face, he'd heard it too. "But above all else," the Lieutenant continued, her features still fixed on Seifer. "The order to withdraw trumps everything else. No matter what you are doing, once you receive this order, you are to withdraw to the drop off point and board the transport. It also overrides any and all orders the Squad leader will issue. Remember this, because if you aren't back at the transports by the time we are set to leave, you _will_ get left behind and you _will_ fail. Am I understood?"

"Yes sir," both Squall and Zell's answers came immediately. Seifer just waved in her direction.

Scowling at the Squad leader, the Lieutenant made to move back the way she came, even as the screen shut off and the lights brightened. Once again, Instructor Trepe and Zell moved out of the way as the SeeD went to leave. "I'll let you know once we're almost there."

She left through the door.

* * *

The Lieutenant had made good on her word. Once she'd heard from the operators that they were closing in, she came back to Squad B and had alerted them. She didn't stay long though. Squall assumed that either she had some preparations to get done herself or she found being in Seifer's company distasteful. It was probably a combination of the two.

Soon after that, Seifer had ordered Squall up onto the observation deck to see just how much further they had before docking. Keeping in mind that the elder cadet was the Squad leader, Squall had given in and, ignoring the snide remark that had come right afterwards, he'd left the room as well.

Finding the ladder that led to the observation deck wasn't difficult. Once he'd climbed to the top, he caught sight of the other three transports, slightly ahead of their own. He saw the shore in the distance, steadily getting closer as they neared the beach. After a moment, he pulled out the map charting Dollet's coast line that he had brought with him, and overlapped it with the instructions of where they would dock and their objective. When he'd studied it closely enough to get a better understanding of their current location, he moved it out of his way and saw the island up ahead.

However, the map he'd brought, while a likeness to the dock ahead, did not display the explosions and the occasional disturbances of the oceanic up ahead. A battle was well underway; it looked as though the original assessment of Dollet's Forces was somewhat inaccurate as there were still people fighting the Galbadians in the city.

Taking in the sight, he climbed back down the ladder and returned to the room the others were waiting in. "Almost there," he reported before Seifer could comment on anything stupid.

"Good," the instructor commented. "Get ready; we should be docking soon."

"ETA?" Seifer asked, turning on Squall.

"Less than five minutes," Squall answered. "If that."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

The elder boy pushed passed Squall in order to get out of the room. Scowling, but keeping calm, he turned to fall in line behind the Squad leader.

A moment later, there was a large bump. Squall guessed that they'd collided with something, and then rammed another bump as they landed – the drivers must have ramped something. Then they were slowing, the submersible shaking as though it were meeting with some resistance. Finally, they came to a stop.

Everyone headed for the exit they'd used to board the vessel and when the door opened, they all climbed out onto the beach. Now that he was much closer to the action, Squall could see where bombs had detonated, sending sand flying and soldiers everywhere, and where Dollet and Galbadian Forces were having a fire-fight, shooting their weapons behind makeshift cover.

Lieutenant Xu saluted the instructor before she ran off, no doubt to meet up with the other SeeDs. Instructor Trepe didn't say anything; she probably didn't feel the need to, and just waited for them to go to their destination. Almost as though he were standing on a stage, Seifer took in his surroundings before looking over his shoulder dramatically and saying, "Move out." He ran off towards the stairs right ahead of them.

Raising an eyebrow, Squall couldn't help but wonder what that was all about, but he followed closely after Seifer, Zell doing the same. Seifer was full of himself, but that was just over the top. Taking a look at Zell over his shoulder, the brawler shrugged in response to the unvoiced question. He didn't get it either.

They climbed the stairs that led up onto the streets of Dollet, spying a trio of cadets who had already beaten them there. A bridge sat overhead, kind of like it was a huge sign dictating that they should head straight. Just as Zell was about to venture on ahead, Squall pulled him back as Seifer withdrew the Hyperion from its sheath. Squall turned Zell's attention above the bridge, where three Galbadian Soldiers jumped down from their perch, no doubt attempting to ambush them.

Squall withdrew the Revolver from its holster and charged forward, Seifer doing the same. However, Squall's downward cleave was blocked when the soldier wisely withdrew his own short sword, fending him off. Concentrating on his magic, he willed the element to run through his arms and into the blade, causing it to glow a bright red colour. Adding more weight to his attack, he pushed down, and watched as his plan worked, the blade was so hot because of the fire magic that it was beginning to cut through the short sword. After a moment, the weapon broke; the steel falling onto the pavement with a clatter that the sounds of battle blasted over.

The Galbadian Soldier stared at his weapon for what should have been one comical moment before throwing away the hilt, balling a fist and throwing it forward, intending to smash it into Squall's face. The cadet was faster. He ducked the attack and dug his shoulder against the soldier's chest plate, knocking the wind out of him and causing a jolt of pain to run through the appendage. The soldier backed away, and was about to counter, when a lightning bolt lanced through the sky and hit him straight through. The static in the air made the soldiers body spark for a moment as he fell to the ground.

He turned around to see another cadet, though the teenager wasn't a part of his Squad. He didn't look very impressed either. "Go secure your own place! We've got this!" He snapped, and to prove he was right, he shot another spell out, catching Zell's attacker with a Blizzard spell just as the brawler was about to knock him down with a round house kick. Fortunately, Zell managed to reign in the attack before he could hurt himself.

"What the hell are you doing?" Seifer snapped, as the soldier he was fighting was put to sleep.

"This isn't your station," the other cadet snapped back. "You've got your own assignment, and it isn't here, so keep going."

Seifer scowled. Squall knew that if anything irritated Seifer Almasy it was if someone else took the glory of a win away from him.

"We've got it covered," the other cadet stressed. "Get out of here."

"I don't take orders from you," Seifer said, grabbing the student by the scruff of his uniform.

"Yeah, so I've heard," the cadet shot back. "You don't take orders from anyone, no matter _who_ they are, do you? Just do yourself a favour and go patrol your own place; it could be swarming with soldiers by now."

Seifer glowered at the cadet and Squall frowned. He knew the other boy was right, but he also knew Seifer wouldn't see it that way. Regardless of Seifer's opinion, they really _did_ have to get to the Central Square. But then the older cadet did something he hadn't expected him to. He released the cadet (who fell promptly onto his rear) and smirked. "Fair enough. Even losers like you need to have _some_ experience, but don't come cryin' to me next time you guys get ambushed."

That said, he turned around, his coat trailing behind him like a cape as he made his dramatic exit.

_There he goes again,_ Squall thought to himself, frowning thoughtfully.

"Looks like Seifer's tryin' out to be a movie star or something," Zell said, tilting his head to the side. "Never been too keen on that before."

Squall couldn't help but agree but now wasn't the time to dwell on the thought. They were going to get left behind if they didn't hurry it up. "It's his choice if he wants to act like that, I guess. We'd better hurry up or we'll get left behind."

Both brawler and gunblader followed and managed to catch up to the Squad leader when he stopped before surveying his surroundings. At least he had his head screwed on straight, but now was definitely not the time to act like some dramatic hero. But then, Seifer raised his hand and a ball of fire started to form in his palm. Squall and Zell stopped moving. He was aiming at them.

"Seifer," Zell said, dropping into a hasty crouch. "You asshole… what do ya think you're doing?"

"Get out of the fucking way!" Seifer snapped and let the fireball loose.

Squall and Zell dropped to the ground and felt the heat of the fire spell fly over them, followed by a startled cry from behind. Both cadets looked to find a Galbadian soldier having been knocked down by the spell and two others coming up from behind with submachine guns, aimed at them.

Both cadets acted quickly; raising their arms and sending a burst of magic each towards the enemy soldiers. Zell's thunder spell and Squall's blizzard blended together and hit both soldiers, knocking them back.

Quickly pulling himself up onto his feet, Squall charged towards them as they began to recover, holding his gunblade at a downward angle before he slashed up. The soldier he was aiming for raised an arm up to defend himself, but the blade slid through the appendage below the elbow without much resistance and fell to the ground with a sickening splash.

The Soldier's comrades stared in shock as the injured soldier before he started screaming in pain, gripping at his bleeding stump. Even as they began to recover from their shock, Squall brought his gunblade in from the side in a quick motion and the blade flowing behind him with an arc of red recreating the motion. An instant later, the sound stopped and the head of the Galbadian Soldier slid to the side before falling onto the ground.

"They're SeeD!" One of the Galbadians shouted, raising his weapon.

A second after the soldier had spoken, Squall's mind caught up with him and looking from the arm to the now bleeding headless torso and to the actual head, and the arc of blood that stained the walls of the houses surrounding them. Taking in all the information his brain was processing, he belatedly realized what he'd just done. He'd killed him; he'd actually _killed_ the soldier without a second thought.

"No they're not," the other one said, sounding shaky but calm. "They're just kids. Easy pickings."

However, before either soldier could actually do anything, Squall felt someone land roughly onto his back, almost knocking him off balance. The pressure disappeared almost as quickly as it had come and he saw Zell do a flying leap, tackling the second speaker, both of them falling to the ground. "I'll show you easy pickings!" The brawler shouted, and proceeded to punch the soldier in the face, through the helmet.

His mind still focused on the life he'd just taken, he heard a click and looked up to see the remaining soldier raising his machine gun. A second later, he was pushed out of the way, landing roughly onto his side and dropping his weapon. The first thing he noticed was the dismembered arm lying directly in his line of view, and he instantly moved away from it, his breathing short and quick. He looked up to see Seifer slash at the remaining Soldier's chest, spin around and slashed at his leg, the soldier crying out in agony.

_How can it be so easy?_ Squall asked himself as he watched Seifer cut away at the soldier who had been a hair away from killing him. _It shouldn't be that easy._

Eventually, the cries seized and a moment later, Seifer grabbed him roughly by both arms and hauled him up, pushing him against the nearest wall. "Fucking pull it together!" Seifer all but snarled in his face. "You _knew_ this wasn't gonna be a walk in the park. You _knew_ this is going to be a life-or-death scenario, so don't you fucking dare freeze up on me!"

Squall's attention was drawn to the first soldier who had been killed, but Seifer roughly grabbed his chin and forced him to look at him. "Don't fucking look at it. You fucking look at me when I'm fucking talking to you. The first one's always hard, but it gets easier, and if you wanna get into SeeD then you'd better fucking pull it together!"

In the back of his mind, he knew Seifer was right; that this was a war and people were bound to get killed, but knowing it and actually witnessing it was different. It was like Seifer said on the way to the exam. Killing monsters and killing people were two completely different things. The exam was done in order to give cadets an idea of real life battles, and what was realer than a skirmish between real humans? Still, he couldn't get the look on the soldier's dead face when he'd cut it off, _hell he cut it off!_

"Are you a fucking pussy?" Seifer said in disgust. "Fucking hell, I told you not to disappoint me, and now look at what you're doing? You'll never amount to anything if you can't fucking learn to deal with it."

Squall balled a fist, glaring at Seifer. How dare he talk to him like that. How dare he just ignore what had just happened. His arm shook at his sides, he couldn't just forget the image in his head, and now Seifer was bullying him into just moving on? He couldn't accept that. Raising his arm, he went to slug Seifer in the face, but the elder cadet caught it, almost as if he were expecting it.

Seifer grinned broadly. "Can't have you hitting your Squad leader, can I?"

Squall blinked and suddenly realized Seifer had been doing what he did best. He was baiting him. He didn't know how he should feel about that, angry that he'd done it or furious that he'd fallen for it.

"You back to rights? 'Cuz _I_ won't hesitate to slug _you_ if you fall apart on me again," Seifer said. "Understood?"

"Whatever," Squall answered back. He focused on his anger, knowing that it would at least distract him for the time being. He'd have to sort through everything else later.

"See?" Seifer said, smirking. "You're back to normal already."

Squall scowled at him and Seifer released him from the wall, the younger teenager wrenching his hand out of Seifer's grasp. Bending down he picked up the gunblade, still covered in blood (Squall tried very hard not to think about where it had come from). "Where's Zell?" Squall asked.

"Punching the crap outta one of the soldiers," Seifer commented. "One of whom was about to do you in."

Squall didn't respond to the jab, instead focusing on the task of hand. He spotted Zell a little further back, and he was crouching over the prone body of the soldier he'd been fighting. There was blood on Zell's knuckles, and some even spattered along his jaw line. He looked up at the other two as they stood waiting for him to get up and put his hands up in a defensive gesture. "I," he stated, and Squall could tell he was starting to panic. "He, I… I didn't… not on purpose…"

"Oh for fuck's sakes!" Seifer snapped at the brawler in frustration.


	7. Chapter VI: Summit of all Dreams

**Edited: **_01/27/09_

**Edited: **_05/19/10_

**Edited: **_03/09/11 - So I'm posting this as edited for an additional reason aside from the one I gave at the end of the prologue. I accidentally managed to double post chapter 5 as chapter 6. My bad. _

_Also, I just recieved a review from someone named 'Aiden' in regards to my story, asking why wouldn't I just play the game instead of reading this. First of all, if you'd rather go replay the game as opposed to reading this, then be my guest. Second, this is my take of the game, and the comment I left at the beginning of the prologue said that I was simply editing to make mine a little better, seeing as I'd noticed all the things I could possibly add or extend upon. In no way, shape or form am I writing this as an extention of a script, but as a novelization of the game. Why am I doing this? Because for me it's fun. Thank you for being my 80th reviewer though._

_Sorry, I would have normally commented back to this person individually but seeing as how Aiden left out his email address, I was unable to do so. I still wanted to address this just in case anyone else wondered why I was doing this. Otherwise, please enjoy the actual chapter 6. Sorry again._

* * *

**Chapter VI:  
Summit of all Dreams**

* * *

It hadn't taken very long for Zell to be brought out of his shock. Seifer was a pro when it came to pissing people off, and he used his gift accordingly in making the brawler forget all about what he'd done, at least for the moment. Squall had been forced to step between the two in order to prevent Zell from attacking their Squad leader, but it had taken a little while longer to calm him down. It was the reason Squall had been so reluctant when he'd original discovered the younger blonde was on his team. Zell was a hot head, and if his hair trigger temper erupted at the wrong time, it could result in getting them all killed

In the end, Zell had turned his back on the pair of them, cursing lightly under his breath and kicking at an invisible enemy. Squall sighed in relief, knowing it was a sign that the brawler as calming down and once Seifer reminded them of their objective, the trio continued to their destination.

Upon arriving at the Central Square they were been ambushed by another group of soldiers, lying in wait to ambush any SeeD or Dollet forces who stumbled onto their territory. Standing back and almost out of distance, Seifer had ordered the other two members of his squad to attack while he watched, seemingly judging their performance. The pair did as told, immediately intercepting their enemy and taking them down almost effortlessly, all thanks to the Guardian Forces who lent their strength to their cause. Squall assumed in the end, despite his indignation, that Seifer had simply been trying to wear them out through combat, giving them the experience needed to shoulder the knowledge of the lives they took, thus making it easier to block it out in the future and for the rest of the exam.

Zell had proclaimed quite confidently that Seifer was growing cold feet, before the elder cadet had promptly told the pair to shut up.

Without any idea of what to do now that they were surrounded by dead soldiers, it had come as a surprise when Seifer had ordered them both to round up the bodies, stacking them together by the fountain. It took a little time, but when they had done as asked, it had been a surprise when Seifer had launched a fire spell at the pile, setting them all ablaze. The smell had been the worst of it, forcing the two teenagers to choke and gag at the stench and having to endure their Squad leader yelling at them to 'suck it up'.

It had been a stupid action in Squall's mind when he'd had the gumption to rethink it. The direction of the wind sent the fumes back down towards the beach, leaving no chance the enemy would be able to smell the acrid stench, but the sight of the blaze itself was cause for alarm. It took a second for Squall to realize that, perhaps, the enemy would mistake it for a burning building or two, a result from skirmishes against the SeeD forces. Forcing himself to relax, he realized they were okay, if only for the moment.

When the bodies were adequately charred to being beyond recognizable as people, Seifer began the task of drenching the flames with a controlled water spell, ordering the two 'greenies' to follow suit. Between the three of them, the fire was settled leaving a near mountain of blackened smoldering flesh that was most unappealing. Forcing his gag reflex back once again, Squall turned away from the sight, though silently relieved that he could no longer recognize the people those bodies had originally been. The acrid fumes still lingered, and he did his best to ignore it.

Zell had asked, once there was no threat of puking if he opened his mouth, what their next objective was, now that they had reached the Central Square. Squall had already assumed what the answer was, but Seifer told them anyway in the only way he could. Pointing out the 'Chickenwuss'' stupidity, he made it obvious that they were forced to secure it, staying put until ordered otherwise. Within the next few minutes, the absence of any advancing soldiers told the trio that this was nothing short of the 'waiting game' and, sighing, Squall steeled himself for the boredom that would ensue.

I only took a few minutes for Seifer to start complaining loudly, lamenting how boring it was to simply wait for the enemy to jump them. There wasn't anything else to distract them, aside from staring at the pile of charred remains. Squall visibly avoided doing the latter, and kept his mouth shut as Zell began to pace.

Someone who lived near the Square seemed to have forgotten to lock up his dog in all the confusion of the attack, because a canine found them sitting, or standing, near the fountain and had preceded over in hopes of attention. Squall was momentarily surprised when this happened, because instead of being frightened off by the sight of weapons or the stench of blood, the animal simply laid down, rolling along its back in a wordless request to play or just laying down close enough to keep them company. It's appearance had startled the three teenagers when they'd sensed movement along the way but after a while they all relaxed back into tense waiting once more. Zell had stopped his pacing however. The dog seemed to give the brawler something else to think about.

Instead of allowing himself to become distracted, Squall opted to observe his surroundings in the event more soldiers showed up.

Strangely enough, the dog didn't seem satisfied just by the attention Zell afford it. For some reason, the canine seemed to have taken a liking to Seifer, though Squall supposed maybe it saw something in him that no one else did. Three times Seifer had told the dog to leave, cursing at it or trying to scare it away, but still the dog persisted. After the third time, Squall had commented that, should the elder cadet fail the exam maybe he should consider a new career as a dog trainer. As a result, he'd been forced to dodge out of the way when a fire spell had been launched in his direction.

Even now, the dog was tailing Seifer, tugging at the ends of the trench coat with its paws, seemingly careful not to mar the fabric as it whined for attention.

"For the last time, fuck off!" Seifer snapped before lashing his foot out, aiming to kick the dog. He missed by just inches as the animal wisely back away. Turning its head, it made as though it were going to leave him alone, but seemed to have a change of heart and, turning back around, it sat down panting and wagging its tail. The dog's sole focus was Seifer, and it caused the blonde gunblader to frown dangerously.

"I keep tellin' ya," Zell said, crouching down to pat the dog again, "the dog likes you. Aside from that fault, there's nothing wrong with him."

"And I keep telling _you_ to shut the fuck up, Chickenwuss," Seifer snapped back. The words echoed back and Zell's features twisted into a frown as Seifer resumed tapping the Hyperion against his shoulder, obviously irritated.

A clock tower chimed suddenly in the distance, causing Squall to look up at the sound. Everyone else did as well, though Seifer snorted shortly afterwards, resuming his irritated gesture. Checking his watch because he was curious, Squall sighed as he stared at the time. It was now 1936. It had taken them approximately half an hour just to get to the Centra Square, and it had been at least an hour and a half, maybe two, since then. Someone was bound to start complaining.

"Man this _sucks_," Zell whined, proving Squall's thoughts accurate, as he rose up to his feet and resumed pacing. Squall supposed the novelty of the dog had finally worn off, though he was thankful the brawler hadn't started shadow boxing instead. "It ain't right to have to wait _this_ long. How the hell are we supposed to prove our worthy by just sitting here?"

"Well there isn't much we can do about it," Squall said through an irritated sigh. He was bored too, but complaining about it wasn't going to change the situation. At least he was staying objective, though even his patience was beginning to fray. "We have our orders. Unless something big happens, I don't see being ordered elsewhere in the foreseeable future. At least not before the order to withdraw."

No one gave him a response, though Squall could have cared less. He preferred the silence, knowing that listening to his thoughts run around in circles was a far cry better than listening to Zell moan and groan the entire time. If anything, Squall wouldn't have been surprised if they'd alerted the enemy to their position. If that was the case, then soldiers were probably standing by, lying in wait for an opportunity to strike. Zell would probably wish they were still waiting if that happened.

Squall was just rising to his feet, about to check out his theory of waiting soldiers when Seifer's voice suddenly sounded, causing the youth's attention to shift to him. "Still keeping us waiting…"

From the tone used, he guessed Seifer was about ready to lose it. Patience had never really been the elder cadet's strong point.

About a second later, Seifer proved his theory right. The Squad leader removed himself from his leaning position against the wall of a nearby building, which gained Zell's immediate attention, and began slashing through the air with the Hyperion. "This is bullshit!" He snarled, making the brawler jump. Squall simply watched him wearily. "I can't take it anymore? We're _SeeD_! Fucking soldiers of war! This isn't some fucking dog training, so where the fuck are they?"

The dog suddenly jumped up onto its feet and ran away from Seifer as quickly as its four legs could carry it. Squall thought the dog had finally gotten the hint. But he was forced to rethink that when it stopped just near the way they had entered the Square and began to howl, the sound echoing off the empty streets and buildings.

Alarmed, Squall went to intercept the animal before it alerted unwanted attention. Zell must have thought the same, because he moved towards it as well, but after a moment, the brawler cursed and ducked back behind the water fountain, signalling Squall to do the same. Seifer moved from where he was standing and crouched down behind the fountain. The dog, having been undeterred, shot down the street, barking loudly, the sounds fading into the background.

They waited for what felt like a long time, trying to keep as low and out of sight as possible, but soon Squall realized why Zell had ducked down as suddenly as he had. A Galbadian soldier, the blue jumpsuit standing out against the rustic design of the buildings surrounding them, crept out into view. Hand on the holster of his weapon, he darted around, looking for any sign of the enemy, SeeD or Dollet soldier alike. His features, mostly hidden behind the metallic mask he wore, contorted into a frown as he made a visual sweep of the area, stepped forward almost cautiously as he did so. From behind him, Squall could make out two more soldiers following after him, no doubt covering his flank as the rest of his platoon – spotted from around the corner beyond the archway further down the street – waited for the all clear.

Frowning, Squall gripped the handle of the gunblade as he watched the soldiers' movements, waiting for the moment their position would be made. It looked as though Seifer had managed to get his wish for action. The three teenagers were practically ducking down elbow-to-elbow, making any shift of weight uncomfortably noticeable as all three soldiers made their rounds along the square.

"All clear on my end," the one farthest away reported. From the haphazard angle he was watching from, Squall noted the soldier still had a grip on his weapon, ready in the event they were ambushed.

"Just a sec," another retorted. "I thought I heard something."

"I heard it too," the third said. "Dog barking. From the sounds, it was tearing down that road." He pointed down the way they had just come and stepped uncomfortably closer, almost in range of making out Seifer's arm.

The blonde gunblader realized this too because, as soon as the soldier looked away, Seifer pulled his arm in, resting it against his bent knee as he watched the proceedings ahead. A moment later, the Squad leader turned his attention away and, gesturing lightly to gain the attention of his squad members, signalled for them to attack on the ready. Squall and Zell nodded in response.

"You ladies done securing the perimeter?" Another soldier from the distance, sounding like the platoon's leader, called out suddenly, causing all three soldiers to turn in the direction. However, despite taking advantage of the distraction, Seifer did not signal them to attack. Squall frowned, wondering about the blonde gunblader's sudden hesitation.

"Sir, I thought I heard someone yelling in the area a moment ago," the second soldier who'd spoken responded. He then proceeded to continue sweeping the area, their chance at an ambush lost as quickly as it had arrived.

"All I heard was a dumb mutt yappin' its maw," the platoon leader hissed, moving closer to the third soldier, who would be dangerously close to spotting them if he moved about an inch to his left. "All's clear to me. Move out."

"Sir-yessir!" The call sounded and the soldiers proceeded as quietly as they could.

And his stomach suddenly sank when he realized they weren't headed towards the beach but down the street that, according to the map from the mission briefing, led on into the mountains. The first four made their way forward before being followed by at least another six. When that sixth soldier passed out of sight, the trio relaxed, knowing that the coast was finally clear.

"Where the hell are _they_ going?" Zell suddenly asked, breaking the tense silence.

"Into the mountains, from the looks of it," Squall said as he frowned. "The Dollet soldiers took refuge up there, remember? The Galbadians were planning an assault to corner them up there."

He sighed in disgust as he threw a glare in Seifer's direction. "And _we _just let them pass like it was nothing."

"There were ten of them in total," Seifer said. "Seven of them in hiding. If we'd jumped the first three as intended, they woulda had us surrounded before the first one went down."

"Not like that's stopped us before," Zell added pointedly.

"I wouldn't have mattered in the long run," Seifer said with a shrug. "Junctions or no junctions, it's mindful to know when one is outnumbered. It's the numbers that mean everything."

"So then why make up the plan in the first place?" Squall asked, more than a little frustrated at the Squad leader's strange actions.

"Hey! What the hell is that?"

Squall's attention shifted to Zell, who was pointing in the direction the platoon of Galbadians had gone. At first, the brunet had no idea what the brawler was talking about but when he shifted his gaze upward he understood.

Past the clock tower displaying the time and further up into the far distance was the point of a tower that blinked red and white lights and indeterminate intervals. He arched an eyebrow at the sight, wondering why it would have drawn Zell's attention in the first place, but momentarily thought of the old satellite systems that had been in use before the end of the 2nd Sorceress' War almost twenty years ago. Maybe that tower was one of the dishes that had gone out of use when the global wide radio wave interference had started up.

He was about to point this out to Zell when Seifer beat him to it. "Our next destination."

Squall turned to regard the Squad leader, wondering what the elder blonde was thinking. He stopped himself from asking though, recognizing the look in his features as one he did not like. It was contemplative, betraying the gears turning in his mind as he came up with an idea. He'd seen that look too many times for him not to recognize it, because it was a precursor to causing trouble, normally involving the breaking of many rules back at the Garden. Most of those times, Squall had been unceremoniously volunteered to tag along, thus forcing him to share in the punishments.

Zell didn't seem to possess any of Squall's reservations though, because he stepped into Seifer's path. Normally, this would have presented disastrous results, because _no one _stood in the way of Seifer when he was up to something. Surprisingly enough, Seifer didn't even register the action, his sights solely fixed on the tower in the distance.

"But that's against orders," the brawler argued pointedly. "You said it yourself. We've gotta stay here until we get further instructions. We'll get in serious trouble for leaving our post!"

"We weren't technically supposed to let those soldiers past us," Seifer started.

Zell gawked at him in indignation as Squall stared at the Squad leader with a similar expression. "And whose fault was that?" Zell asked pointed. "You were the one who was supposed to signal the attack, but you didn't. We couldn't exactly jump them as they walked along, we woulda been surrounded before the first guy dropped. You said so yourself!"

"Regardless of what happened, we can't just let them get to the mountains, where the Dollet troopers are regrouping," Seifer argued back before rolling his eyes. "SeeD's supposed to be keeping the Galbadians in check before Dollet launches their counterattack, remember? Or were you asleep during the briefing?"

Zell scowled at the insinuation though Squall simply rolled his eyes, knowing that it had been _him _who had reminded them all of that very fact moments ago. Unfortunately, once Seifer got an idea into his head, he stuck with it, even if all logic dictated it was a bad one. "Besides, weren't _you_ the one complaining about how bored you were a second ago?"

Zell pursed his lips but said nothing. He was most definitely trying to find a fitting argument that would convince even Seifer to drop the idea and stick around the Central Square, as boring as it may be. They would have to get a message out to one of the SeeD teams to intercept the advancing Galbadian team, if only to protect the Dollet soldiers. Maybe that would salvage the situation.

Though there was no guarantee that a SeeD team would be able to intercept in time. Seifer, of course, had to know that. Why else would he push the issue?

Though Squall knew better than to believe Seifer had the best intentions for the Dollet soldiers, or even the SeeD members fending off the Galbadians. He was in it for himself and, as bored as he was, he was willing to take any opportunity to see some action in this mission. Any excuse was fine, so long as he was in the centre of the whole thing. Saving the Dollet forces and earning bragging rights for it was just a bonus for him

"Squall!" Zell said, suddenly bringing Squall out of his musings. "Say something, will ya! I'm not failing this exam just 'coz he wants to pick a fight."

Sighing, he frowned as he wondered why it was his job to keep Seifer in line. And who even gave him the idea that he could? If he was, did Zell think he'd have been labelled a problem child by the faculty, or getting into scrapes with him in the first place? Zell knew above anyone else that, once Seifer had an idea, he went with it. It was like trying to take dead prey away from a feral animal, and Seifer could be just as stubborn as one at times.

Besides which, the only thing this arguing would serve would be to cause more noise and alert the surrounding enemy of their location. Seifer would get what he wanted in the end, regardless of anyone else's wishes in the matter. At least this way, they could be somewhat productive about it.

Despite knowing that what he was about to say was only going to inflate Seifer's massive ego, Squall drew in a breath and let it out slowly as he turned his back on both blondes and, seemingly the situation as a whole. "I stand by what the Squad leader has decided."

"Say _what_?" Zell exclaimed, no doubt shooting him a look of pure horror. Squall couldn't fault him, having just added the final nail to the coffin that was this mission.

"What Seifer says, goes," Squall elaborated. The faster this dispute ended, the smaller their chances were of detection. If they were going into the mountains, they would have to act quickly. "And if he wants us to head into the mountains, then that's his order."

He was surprised to hear footfalls moving closer to him, and then feeling Seifer's gloved hand – he knew it was his because Zell wore knuckle gloves – gripping him on his shoulder. He turned to glare at the offending appendage, but Seifer didn't remove it. "Squad leader's orders…" he said thoughtfully before snorting. "My ass. You want some action too, and you know it."

Suddenly irritated, Squall shrugged Seifer's hand off of him and stepped out of reach so further contact couldn't be made. Turning around, he stared up at Seifer, who had by then folded his arms across his chest and was watching him intently. From behind, Zell was shifting his gaze between the two. "You're the Squad leader, so what you say goes." Squall said evenly. "It's considered insubordination to go against a higher ranked team members orders, despite the circumstances."

Zell paled slightly, but didn't say anything. Squall figured he'd gotten the message clearly before he continued. "And it'll be a good way to test my training."

When Seifer didn't interrupt, he continued, eyes narrowing as he thought back to the training session earlier. "Thanks to you, I think I can take on anyone, even if they fight dirty and pull cheap tricks like you do."

Both of them stared each other down for a moment, but it was Seifer who broke the eye contact, shrugging as he did. "You'll thank me," he said, sounding confident, "when the time comes."

_Doubtful,_ Squall thought darkly, still staring at the elder cadet. Fortunately, Zell seemed to come out of his own thoughts, because he stepped forward and redirected their attention to him.

"What's up with this? I thought you two hated each other's guts," Zell said, looking confused. "And now you're acting like you're best pals? Someone wanna explain what the hell's going on?"

"Too high up on the intelligence scale," Seifer said, waving it off. Squall had just been about to comment as well. "It'd go way over your head."

Zell scowled, but seemed to put the comment behind him, at least for the time being. It surprised Squall, since Zell always reacted to whatever Seifer said the moment it was said. "Fine, don't tell me. None of my business. But this isn't an ordinary battle. It's a mission; an important one at that. So we saw a squad of the enemy heading up to the mountains, and yeah we saw something up at the summit. But we're not gonna get any brownie points for tryin' ta act like heroes. If anything, we'll get in serious trouble for not following our original orders."

"No one said you had to come, Chickenwuss," Seifer said, apparently bored with the discussion. He'd already won the argument, so there was nothing more to say. "Stay here if you're that concerned. I don't need any boy scouts on my team."

Zell balled a fist, his arm shaking but he seemed to be visibly trying not to let Seifer get to him. While Seifer smirked, Squall just rolled his eyes irritably. "Zell, don't take everything he says so personally."

The words seemed to have sunk in, because he released the fist, though his scowl deepened. "I didn't say I wasn't coming," he said after a moment. He spoke in an even tone. "I'll follow orders. I'm just making it clear what we're riskin'."

"Well," Squall said before Seifer could make some snide comment he had at the ready. "If we're going to go, we better do it now."

Seifer stared at him for a moment once more before shrugging and moving past both Squall and Zell. Clearing his throat, he spoke as though the whole argument hadn't even taken place. "The enemy is headed for that facility in the mountains. We, Squad B, are to secure the summit and gather intelligence. Whatever we learn can be used against them."

He looked over his shoulder once again and, as though he were an actor looking directly into the lens of the camera filming him, he said quietly, "Move out," and charged into the back alley where the Galbadians had gone.

Exchanging exasperated glances between one another, Zell and Squall followed.

After wandering through the alley for a few minutes, they'd reached a bridge that separated the mountains from the rest of the town. The structure was very wide – enough so that two supply trucks could comfortably come and go and there would still be enough room for pedestrians to wander about. There was no railing as the stone wall rose to about Squall's waist and was seemingly expected to keep the townsfolk from jumping from the bridge and into the water-filled canyon below.

"Good for tossin' out the trash," Seifer had commented when Zell had brought it up, "like those Galbadian dogs."

But oddly enough they hadn't run into any enemy soldiers along the bridge at all. It seemed strange, knowing of the soldiers who'd slipped passed them earlier. They couldn't have stalled for so long that they had gotten too far ahead at least and it put Squall at edge, wondering if this was some kind of trap. Regardless, the trek had been silent, save for the tapping of feet atop stone.

Nearly thirty minutes later, they reached the other side of the bridge, coming across their first Galbadian Soldier. No one brandished their weapons however, because he was already dead. As they continued along the cobble-stoned path, they found more bodies and blood trails that seemed to lead towards the mountain. After five minutes of walking they came a winding stairwell etched into the rock of the mountain – probably for easy passage. There were ledges and foliage at intervals of the stairs, one after the first three steps, another after the following five, all stretching higher and higher.

Just when they didn't think anyone was there, they heard a gasping sound. Zell nearly jumped out of his skin when the noise was made, but Squall and Seifer were at the ready. A moment later, there was movement from behind the foliage, but the arm that extended from it was not what they had expected. For one thing, it was human, and the sleeves of the uniform the soldier wore were not the blue of the Galbadians. Instead, they were dark brown colour.

Squall had never seen the uniform before, but he was sure they belonged to a Dollet soldier.

Zell and Squall moved forward while Seifer stayed back, keeping an eye out in case the enemy showed up. The soldier dragged himself out a little further before spotting the trio and started in surprise. "Who the hell are you?" He asked through his thick Dollet accent, reaching for his weapon.

"We're SeeD-" Zell started but Squall jabbed him in the arm with his elbow. The brawler cut himself off before saying, "Don't worry, you're safe now. We're not here with the Galbadians. We've been dispatched by Garden."

"Blimey," the soldier said, apparently at a loss for words.

"What happened?" Zell asked.

"Better yet," Seifer interrupted. "What's going on up top?"

The Dollet soldier must have understood, because he licked his lips before speaking, "The Galbadian soldiers arrived shortly before you lot did. Did the whole team in. Thought I was a goner, I did. They assumed I'd been done in with my mates and continued up into the mountains. Kinda lucky they took the wrong path though. The other soldiers we – I was supposed to be guarding are on the upper ledge to the left. These blokes went right."

Squall scowled, knowing that if they had done their job, the Dollet troops wouldn't have been ambushed. He wasn't surprised to see that Seifer's expression did not change from the information given to them.

"Did they go up to the structure at the top of the mountain?" Seifer asked.

"You mean the Communications Tower?" the soldier corrected. He licked his lips again, almost like it was a nervous twitch. "I reckon so. Overheard them talking about something of great importance up there. I couldn't catch what, but I can't imagine why that tower'd be so important."

"Why's that?" Zell asked before Seifer could.

"Well, for starters, it's been offline since the war ended," the Dollet soldier answered. "No need for it now that everything's run through HD frequencies. But more importantly, it's swarmin' with loads of monsters from the mountains, inside _and_ out. Nobody in their right minds would want to go up their now, not with the prospect of having a run-in with a nesting monster."

Squall didn't like the sounds of it. It was more believable that they would be after the regrouping soldiers, not some tower infested with monsters. Especially since the uplink had long since become inoperable.

"So what do we do now, Squad leader?" Zell asked, turning on Seifer. Squall could tell by the look on his face that it was taking the brawler all he had to swallow his pride and ask the elder teenager for their next objective.

"It's obvious, ain't it?" Seifer said, looking exasperated. "We follow the soldiers into the mountain and secure the Communications Tower."

"You're serious?" the soldier said, sounding shocked. "You lot are crazy!"

Seifer cut the soldier through with a look so withering the man recoiled. "The Galbadians are up to something, and from what you've just told us it has something to do with that tower. Back up notwithstanding, there's no time to be sitting here twiddling our thumbs over the thought of monsters, let alone hope that they'll do the job for us."

"Seems nothing I say'll change your minds," the Dollet soldier said with a sigh. "Right, well, if you're gonna go up there, I suggest you be care—"

The soldier didn't get a chance to finish as he was suddenly dragged back into the foliage they had previously discovered him.

"Stand back!" Seifer shouted before either Squall or Zell could make a move.

Zell glared at Seifer incredulously. "Are you nuts? He's gonna die!"

Instead of responding, however, Seifer merely stepped forward and raised his hand in the air, his palm facing both Squall and the brush where the soldier had disappeared. As red energy began to collect at the center of his palm, Squall began to understand and backed away, Zell doing the same. The energy grew, forming a round sphere the size of his entire hand and eventually Seifer released the energy, the fire spell flying and engulfing the entire area. They heard the Dollet Soldier's tortured screams as the brush slowly dissolved into a crumpled heap right before their eyes. Once the brush was gone, they could see what was responsible for the soldier's abduction.

It was a monster, a snake, roughly three – four times bigger than Seifer. Its yellow underbelly bore scrapes from constant contact with the ground, as it possessed no arms or legs, and its forked tail was securely wrapped around the legs of the Dollet Soldier, who continued to cry out for them to save him. The uniform had been almost destroyed by the fire spell, causing bits of burnt material still clung to the man's skin.

The snake's jaw looked swollen, no doubt filled with venom, and its fangs hung from a curved lip where its forked tongue stuck out between them, seemingly inspecting the air. Unlike the soldier though, it appeared uncaring of the fire spell that had just been launched at it.

Still, Seifer wasn't done. The blade of the Hyperion, normally black, was glowing a bright green as Seifer pulled his right arm back as though he were swinging a baseball bat. In the center of the weapon was a sphere of bright light, growing to the point were it was almost the length of the blade. Finally, Seifer swung his arm forward, and they all watched the energy flew from the bladed weapon, colliding straight at the snake monsters head and sending it back.

Zell went to run over to the soldier, but from what Squall could see he realized the snake had not released its grip on its captive. Seifer looked almost disappointed that his attack hadn't done much damage to it, and Squall wondered if it was because the spell hadn't been sufficient enough to weaken it. Fire was Seifer's favourite element, but it hadn't looked like the spell had hurt the monster any.

Concentrating hard on the cold, Squall prepared to cast a spell of his own, even as Zell pointed out that Seifer's attack hadn't done much. He heard footsteps beside him and knew that the other cadets were charging in to attack. After a moment Squall released the spell, noticing the drop in temperature and watching as ice particles surrounded the snake before a large ice ball dropped onto its head. The monster shuddered from the cold before Seifer and Zell could hit the monster.

Squall dropped out of his casting stance and, withdrawing his gunblade, charged forward. However, the snake gripped the Dollet Soldier even tighter than it had previously and used him as a club, swinging him into Zell and knocking the brawler onto his backside. The soldier bounced onto the ground once, but didn't stir.

While Zell starting checking on the downed soldier, Seifer manoeuvred around the snake and slashed up at the creature's face, almost catching it on its chin. The monster had sense enough to raise its head, but Seifer caught its underbelly, drawing blood. The snake batted its now free tail at Seifer, causing him to fly backwards. Squall managed to avoid the collision and, concentrating on the cold, connected with his downward slash, hitting the body and imbedding the blade past its skin. The snake hissed angrily, and flicked its tail, trying to remove Squall. The gunblader gripped his gunblade tighter and pulled the trigger, once, twice, three, four times.

When he went to pull it an additional time, the monster adjusted its stance, rising up and thus bringing Squall with it. Squall's feet barely touched the ground and as he attempted to remove the gunblade from the snake's side, the monster bent down and grabbed Squall by the arm with its mouth, as though he was the sharp thing in its body. Squall managed to withdraw the Revolver from in the snake's skin, but could feel something seeping into the appendage before he was thrown unceremoniously onto the ground, rolling until he landed on his side; lying on his injured arm.

The cadet winced, grabbing at his injured arm but knew exactly what had happened the moment he started to feel dizzy. Cursing, he knew he'd been injected by the snake's venom and groped inside the items pouch he wore for an antidote. H was momentarily distracted from his task when he heard the sounds of scales across stone and realized that the snake was slithering towards him, probably planning to finish him off.

Zell, having already checked on the soldier, jumped into the line of fire and blasted its face with another Blizzard spell, the cool articles of ice cascading around the forehead of the creature. Squall could only watch on as the snake recoiled and set its sights at Zell, the brawler dodging to the left and continuing to move in order to lure it away. Seifer was on the opposite side, throwing Blizzard spells at its back in an attempt to confuse it.

Thankful for the distraction, Squall procured what he had been looking for and pulled it out of the pack, removing the cork that served as a lid for the small pink bottle he held in his hands before downing the antidote in a single gulp. It was sweet and yet bitter at the same time, leaving a horrible aftertaste that Squall ignored with some difficulty. In the seconds that followed, the dizzy-nauseous feeling subsided and he knew he'd narrowly avoided the worst effects of the poison.

Rising to his feet, he gripped at his injured arm and concentrated on the area of the bite, feeling a warm tingling sensation as a pale green light encompassed his hand and the slightly raised area, wincing slightly as he could feel the holes in his arm closing of their own accord. The cure spell works its wonders and, soon, the only evidence of the bite was from the puncture holes in the sleeve of his jacket. Crisis averted, Squall raised the Revolver in both hands and charged forward, intending to aid in the battle.

The snake meanwhile had ignored the downed cadet in favour of the two bothersome youths attacking it from both sides. As it lashed out with teeth at the brawler, who managed to dodge almost effortlessly, it swatted at Seifer with its spiked tail, who would back away from the attempt in much the same manner. They seemed to have the creature on the ropes as Squall entered threat range and, raising his arm in front of him, he threw out another blizzard spell, watching as it hit the monster as he raised the blade in an attempt to strike it.

Unfortunately, his added attack seemed to have caused the monster to act accordingly. Ignoring Seifer and Zell, it reared up above the cadet that wasn't giving it much trouble before lashing down in an attempt to bite into him. Squall dodged the attack, rolling and ducking to the right before blasting forth another blizzard spell, watching as the ice ball struck the monster above the head, and a third slammed into it from the side.

Still, focussed on Squall as ever, the monster rushed forward, though just as Squall were about to retaliate with a slash at its throat with the Revolver, the brunet caught movement from behind. Seifer charged at the distracted snake, his blade frothing with a frigid mist and, leaping up into the air, he stabbed forward, catching the monster in the back. The blade sank in as deep as it could and, with a quick twist of his wrist, the blade slashed through, emerging out from behind thick scales, the gaping wound spewing blood along the rough ground.

The snake writhed and hissed in pain, flopping in its attempt to right itself and attack the one responsible for its injury, but the wound was too great and, seconds later, the monster fell limp against the ground, the light dimming in its eyes as death took hold of it.

"The hell was that?" Zell asked after a moment.

Seifer snorted. "_That_ was an Anacondaur," the tone of his voice seemed to suggest that Zell was stupid for not knowing that. "Heard of them, but never actually fought one before."

_That explains why he didn't know its weaknesses,_ Squall surmised but kept his mouth shut. "They must be native to the area. There's probably a nest somewhere nearby that the Dollet and Galbadian forces must've unsettled in their skirmishes."

"Let's just hope we don't run into any more," Zell interjected. "Fucking hell, this sucks. Didn't expect to run into _monsters_."

"What're you complaining about?" Seifer asked, the expression on his face betraying his exhilaration. It was like the blonde gunblader was on a chemical high, his eyes alight and alive. "Monster hunting's the best part. Don't see any SeeDs around here yet, so more fun for us I guess. We keep moving."

"How's the soldier?" Squall asked as Seifer started up the mountain.

Zell shook his head, his momentary indignation forgotten and replaced by a more solemn expression. "The fall did him in. He wasn't breathing when I checked him over. Least he died quick, I guess."

"Quicker than the rest of his team, yeah," Squall agreed, staring at the downed soldier for a moment before approaching him. Without pausing to even think, he pressed his index and middle finger above the dead soldier's eyes and forced the lids closed, giving the illusion that the man, the last of his squad, was simply asleep. Sighing once, he rose to his full height and motioned that they should follow after the Squad leader.

It was another two hours filled of scaling the mountains, and defending themselves against the monsters in the area. While they had had no further encounter with any Galbadian soldiers, Zell's earlier wishes had fallen upon deaf ears. They encountered quite a few of the Anacondaurs in the region, as well as winged birds with mouths that split apart from the side rather than from top to bottom known as Thrustaevis. For Squall, it was a welcome change, for it was most definitely easier to cope with willing monsters than it was to sort through killing a person. Even worse for their situation was the lack of light they had to aid them. The sun had sunk beneath the horizon a few hours before, basking them in the night that threatened to swallow them should they fail to tread lightly.

Two hours had since passed since they'd left the designated are, surprising to Squall as he had expected it to have taken them longer to reach the Communications Tower. Despite not having been used very often in the last seventeen years, the trail was still in decent shape, though it helped that there wasn't much foliage that grew in the mountain regions. It made it easier to navigate and, before they knew it, they were on a cliff overlooking the tower's entrance.

As they lay along the Cliffside scoping the entrance in the attempt at watching the guards for any opening, Squall couldn't help but wonder how the SeeD forces were holding up. Moreover, he wondered if their absence was hindering their attempts at sanitizing the city of Galbadian occupation, or if it was even making a difference. Sighing he knew he wouldn't find the answer to those questions until they returned and forced his attention to the situation at hand.

Utilizing his junctions, Squall focussed hard on the five soldiers who had just begun to gather in front of the Communications Tower, trying to hear what they were saying. After a moment, he finally caught snatches of their conversation and listened intently. "…Generator's just about up and running. 'Bout time too. Don't know how much longer we can hold off those troops."

"You complainin'?" another soldier asked almost leisurely, teasingly even.

"No. I'm s'posed to be on leave soon though. Just wondering when _that's_ gonna be."

"There's no problem with the boosters," a third soldier commented, breaking up the conversation. "Looks like we'll be up and running sooner than expected. That should alleviate your worries, so suck it up and quit complaining."

"I told you, I'm not complaining," the second soldier protested. It didn't appear as though the rest of them cared whether or not he felt he was. It seemed more as a means of causing amusement among the men and making the time move faster.

"Cable disconnection has been confirmed," a forth soldier piped up. "We can finally begin the exchange process."

They all nodded and everyone went back inside; apparently they didn't feel a need to guard the entrance any more.

"What the hell are they up to?" Zell asked, even as the trio got back onto their feet.

"Sounds like repairs," Squall commented. "By why would they be repairing the tower if there's nothing to communicate the frequency to?"

"Or any guarantee it'd even work with the interference," Zell agreed. "It'd be nothing but static on the other end, no matter _what _they did."

Seifer scoffed, shrugging as he did. "Who the hell cares? Only thing that matters is they're up to something and we get to stop it."

Squall frowned thoughtfully, wondering if knowing what the Galbadians were up to in the first place would help them any but realized that it probably wasn't. The result would be the same, they would still have to figure out a means of stopping them. Still, he couldn't help but be bothered by the enemy's actions. Did this mean they weren't after the Dollet at all, that the occupation was merely a front to cover their true objective? None of their Intel was matching with the actions they'd witnessed and it didn't make any sense.

"Looks like you can get some _real _fighting experience in. You scared?"

Squall started slightly, having unexpected being the recipient of any talking, much less the question at hand. Managing to compose himself, Squall turned to regard the Squad leader with a raised eyebrow, wondering why the elder teenager was so damned concerned with his mental state of mind. His thoughts went back to the encounter along the way to the Square, and he realized it was the Squad leader's job to ensure his team could do the job. Seifer was just exercising his duty, or so Squall preferred to think.

It was the only reason he answered the question to begin with. "…Not sure," he said at great length.

It was the absolute truth. He was apprehensive, terrified, frustrated, curious and numb all in the same package. Images of that first soldier tried to creep into his thoughts from time to time and though he pushed them away, a part of him died inside each time he did so. It was like he was denying his own actions, or even his own mortality, because that could easily be him if he made even one mistake. Worse still was he was getting used to the battles, used to taking the lives of his enemies, regardless of how they'd lived those lives out of uniform.

It made him sick just thinking about it.

"It'll pass."

Squall looked up at that, surprised that Seifer of all people was trying to reassure him. More than that, the look in Seifer's features betrayed that he understood how the brunet felt and that he truly meant it. It made sense as this was Seifer's third exam, but he'd even try to console them when all he'd been doing was barking at them all night was beyond him. Maybe they'd kind of proven themselves to him that night, though he doubted it would change his thoughts or even his behaviour towards the two.

But Squall wasn't here to prove anything to Seifer. That much he was sure of. He just wasn't sure what he was here to prove anymore.

Seifer was oblivious to the inner workings of Squall's mind, however, and simply continued with his train of thought. "It always does."

More as a declaration than anything else, Seifer continued on, "I love battles. _Nothing_ scares me anymore, absolutely nothing. Call it experience if you want, but in the end I see fighting these idiots as a means to an end. It's just another step closer to fulfilling my dream, if you ask me."

Squall assumed that meant his ambition to become a SeeD, and he shook his head, turning around to ask the blonde why it had taken him so long to accomplish it if he really wanted to pass the exams, but the look in Seifer's features stopped him. There was a faraway look in the elder blonde's eyes, one that told a different story and made Squall question everything he knew about the Squad leader. It confused him, because he was fairly sure he knew Seifer better than most people. "Excuse me?" He asked instead, raising an eyebrow as he waited for an elaboration.

Zell was also staring at Seifer warily, thought Squall couldn't particularly fault him. In his perspective, the brawler probably thought the conversation was growing too much into 'touchy-feely' territory. Seifer wasn't the kind of person to get involved in emotional sap like this. Still, Squall pressed on, wondering for the first time if something was wrong with him. "What exactly are you talking about?"

Seifer turned to regard him out of the corner of his eye once more and Squall suddenly realized he'd purposely said it aloud; that for some strange reason he'd wanted Squall to hear him. "Dreams, Squall. Everyone has 'em, though they label them differently. Call it what you will. Dreams, aspirations, something to look forward to. They're the same thing, really. Something to keep you moving in the end."

He turned so that he was facing Squall entirely now and tilted his head to the side curiously. "You've got one too, don't you?" He said suddenly.

He felt his eyebrow shoot up higher, and Squall resisted the urge to scoff. Of course he had an aspiration, and Seifer had plainly pointed it out during their spar earlier. For as long as he'd been in the Garden, all he'd ever wanted was to become a SeeD. Though a small part of him wondered what would come once he'd obtained his SeeDship, but he figured he'd cross that road when he came to it.

_And even if I _did_ have any other aspirations,_ Squall thought pointedly, _it'd be a cold day in hell before I ever confide them to you._

Instead of answering, Squall folded his arms across his chest and turned his back on the elder cadet. He could tell both Seifer and Zell were staring at him, but he didn't care. "I'm going to pass on the subject."

"Oh c'mon Squall," Zell piped up, taking a step closer, and drawing their attention to him. "I wanna know too."

Seifer seemed to snap out of whatever stupor he'd fallen into. The same smirk he wore when he was up to no good surfaced and he mirrored Squall's action. "Yeah, right," he snorted. "Mind your own damn business, Chickenwuss."

Zell's face went red and he balled his fists at his side, seemingly resisting the urge to slug the Squad leader. However after a moment, his restraint seemed to fail, forcing the brawler to lean forward, his fists raised as he took a couple of swings at the taller blonde. Seifer, for his part, simply dodged the attack, inclining his head this way and that without much effort, even as Zell raged on. "Fucking hell, Seifer! If you didn't want me to be involved, you shouldn't have said anything!"

Squall took a look around their surroundings, hoping that the soldiers in the area hadn't heard them, but Seifer simply laughed at the brawler's attempts at hitting him. In the end, Zell gave up, turning his back on the both of them chest heavy as he scowled in displeasure.

"What's the matter, Zell?" Seifer jeered. "Swatting flies? They tend to bite back."

Zell turned back around and appeared ready to launch himself at Seifer. Squall stepped in front of him, barring his path and preventing any escalation of what had happened. Seifer simply seemed to let the exchange go and walked away, taking a trail to the right of them that seemed to curve around the corner. More than likely it would lead to the entrance.

Squall did not follow after the Squad leader, instead deciding it would be better to get Zell calmed down enough before they did so. The last thing they needed was to be spotted because two of them were fighting. "I told you not to take him seriously," Squall said through a heavy sigh. "He'll only keep doing what he does if you react like that."

"You're a fine one to talk," Zell said, to which Squall glared at him, visibly daring him to elaborate. For what it was worth, Zell didn't, seemingly catching himself before he could. Still frustrated, the brawler took a few steps away from the brunet before falling into a crouch and slamming a fist down into the ground beneath him, swearing under his breath. The volume was reduced rapidly so that no one unless close by would've heard.

"There you are!"

The decidedly female voice from above that startled the pair, however, lacked the same tact, though Squall was surprised to find that it sounded vaguely familiar to him. Exchanging puzzled glances between one another, both boys turned to see a girl standing on a cliff overlooking _their _position, hands on her knees as she struggled for breath.

While there was no cause for alarm – she was wearing the female cadet uniform – it was unnerving to know that someone had easily managed to sneak up onto them, despite her having blown her cover, which was why Squall was still wary to see her. It was when he continued to watch her that he realized where he had seen her before. She was the same bobbed haired girl he'd run into in the hall earlier, the transfer student from Trabia Garden. She was also one of the three people who had been on the bridge leading into town where they had first emerged from the transports. It must have been her squad they had been assisting earlier in the night.

Currently, she was attempting to carefully scale the side of the mountain, mindful of the loose rocks in her path. Unfortunately, it didn't help her, as her left foot slipped on a loose bit of stone as she tried to take a step forward. She was propelled in the direction, her arms flailing at either side in an attempt to steady her balance but it was too late. Seconds later she was forced to tumble headfirst down the rock side and onto the trail below, landing just inches away from Zell, who jumped back and away from the prone girl, who had somersaulted the rest of the way and landed on her rear end. Attached to her back on a holster was a pair of sticks attached together by a metal chain. Squall assumed this to be her weapon.

When she'd recovered from the fall, she looked back up and winked as she stuck out her tongue. Squall blinked, knowing that the response was most definitely _not _normal, but said nothing as Zell helped the girl back up onto her feet. The fall seemed to have had no effect on her whatsoever. "Thanks," she giggled.

"Why were you climbing the mountain?" Zell asked tentatively, staring at her as though she were crazy. Squall was fairly sure that she was.

"I've been looking for you guys _everywhere_," she commented, stressing the last word. "When I couldn't find you at the Central Square, I thought I'd gotten my orders mixed up, so I thought I'd check the mountains in case that was where you were. Then I followed the dead bodies, and figured you'd passed by, though I couldn't for the life of me figure out _why_ you'd go any further, so I kept going. You guys are _really_ hard to track down, you know?"

"It was the Squad leader's bone-head idea," Zell commented bitterly.

The girl stared at him curiously before turning to look at Squall. He realized she must have recognized him; her hand covered her mouth and she jumped up and down on the spot. "Hey! I know you! You're the guy who showed me the directory at the Garden. You remember me, right?"

Zell's stare turned incredulous; he apparently didn't believe her. However Squall simply nodded in response. "I remember you."

He could feel Zell staring at him now, and tried his best to ignore him. The girl beamed at him. "Thanks a lot. I don't get so lost anymore. Wait…" she said, frowning slightly. "You guys _are_ Squad B, right?"

Zell and Squall both nodded, and the girl clapped her hands enthusiastically. "Great! Now, which one of you is the Squad leader?"

"Uh…" Zell said, scratching the back of his head. "_Who_ are you again?"

The girl extended her hand almost immediately after Zell had asked her. The brawler hesitantly took it and pumped his arm up and down. "Name's Selphie Tilmitt and I've got an important message to deliver. So…" she said, looking from Squall to Zell, "which one of you is the Squad leader?"

Squall heard a laugh from down below and caught sight of Seifer running towards the doors to the Communication Tower, the Hyperion drawn. Sighing, Squall pointed in his direction and Selphie turned curiously to look at him.

For a second, Squall figured Seifer was going to shout at them to hurry it up, but instead Seifer whirled around and shouted at the top of his lungs, "One of these days, Leonhart, I'll tell you about my _romantic_ dream!" With that, Seifer charged towards the entrance, the doors automatically sliding open to allow him access.

Squall really wished that he could have told the other two he didn't know him and actually convince them. Seifer said a lot of strange things (particularly today of all days), but that had to top them. What did he mean by a romantic dream and why exactly would he have wanted to share it with him?

"Weirdo," Zell said under his breath. Squall simply nodded in response.

"That's him?" Selphie asked curiously and when both males nodded she sighed. "Is he trying to get himself killed?"

"Probably," Zell deadpanned.

"Then I guess we'd better help him out," Selphie said before eying both the path and the cliff. After a moment she walked back towards the rocks she'd tumbled down and took a deep breath. "This is soooo hard…" she muttered before crouching down.

The next second shocked both Zell and Squall; the girl charged towards them, and leapt off the cliff, shouting an enthusiastic "Whoo-Hoo! Commander! Wait up!" before disappearing from sight.

Zell, who had taken a step back, stared at Squall, who stared back. "Why do _we_ get stuck with the _weirdoes_?" he asked.

Squall shrugged in response, but a moment later, they saw Selphie run over towards the doors. At first, they figured she was going inside, but she turned around and jumped up and down, waving her hands frantically in case they couldn't see her. "C'mon! Hurry up! We can't keep the Commander waiting!"

"We're… not gonna jump that, are we?" Zell asked.

"You can if you want to," Squall commented as he started down the trail. "I'm not breaking my neck just because it's quicker."

"Thought you'd say that," Zell said and soon he was following him.

It took them about five minutes more, but eventually they caught up to Selphie, who was tapping her foot impatiently on the ground.

"You _walked_?" She asked in a tone that suggested _they_ were the crazy ones. "It woulda been way faster if you jumped like I did. Fun too."

"Yeah right," Zell said, scoffing. "Normal people don't jump off cliffs, okay? Right Squall?"

Squall nodded in response. "On top of almost breaking your neck, there could have been enemy soldiers hiding underneath the ledge."

"But the Commander didn't say anything about it," Selphie said.

"Seifer _wouldn't_ have said anything," Zell said. "You mistake him for being a _nice_ guy."

"At any rate," Squall said, interjecting before they could continue the conversation further. "We'd better get inside and back Seifer up."

"One thing though," Selphie said, putting her arms behind her back. "You guys are junctioned to GF's, right?"

Both boys nodded. "I thought so. I transferred in today, so they didn't exactly have any junctions available to me, so I've had to make due without. I don't suppose either one of you has a spare, do ya?"

Squall and Zell exchanged glances. Trabia Garden was more immersed in magic and didn't train with Guardian Forces like Balamb did. However, Squall wouldn't have been surprised if they'd learned how to junction in case they wanted to take the field exam. And being the only transfer student taking part, it would make sense that she'd feel out of sorts among all the junctioned students. They were physically stronger and faster than her.

Recalling that he still had Ifrit junctioned, he closed his eyes and concentrated, hoping he remembered how to de-junction a GF. After a moment, he was successful. He felt his surroundings suddenly grow hot before the feeling left him entirely. In his outstretched hand, he held out the red orb to Selphie, who stared at him curiously.

He caught Zell staring at him from the corner of his eye and sighed. "I still have a junction with me. I…" he wasn't about to go into details on how he had an extra GF, "found this one this morning. You can junction with it."

"Really?" Selphie said, her eyes brightening as she took the orb. "Awesome! I'm really glad I met you earlier, what luck."

Holding the orb in the center of her enclosed hands, she closed her eyes in concentration (thus confirming Squall's earlier suspicions) and the orb glowed a brilliant red before it disappeared altogether. When Selphie opened her eyes, they glowed a brilliant red before returning to their natural green colour. "Tee-Hee, thanks!" She shouted enthusiastically. "Now I can kick butt like everyone else."

From where they were standing, the tower was huge. Squall realized he shouldn't have been surprised, having seen it from the Central Square. It was taller than any other building he'd ever seen, and shot off so high in the sky that he couldn't crane his neck back any further to take it all in. After a moment, he and the others went to go inside when the doors slid open. Three Galbadian soldiers running out of there like there'd been a fire. A second later, their Squad leader appeared, brandishing the Hyperion and swinging it around as he shouted after them. "_Cowards!_ Face me like real men! You're fucking dogs of war so fucking act like it!"

"Um…" Selphie tried to get out but by then Seifer had already turned his back on them all and re-entered the complex. Frowning slightly, she put her hands on her hips and stomped her foot irritably. "How rude!"

"You get used to it," Zell said helpfully. "Erm, kinda."

"Hey! He's getting away! Let's go follow him!" Selphie suggested, her attitude changing dramatically right before she ran after him.

"Why doesn't she just tell _us_ the message?" Zell frowned, shaking his head. "It'll take forever to find Seifer now that he's on a power trip."

"Seifer's _always_ on a power trip," Squall commented as he led the way inside. "And anyways, she must not want to repeat herself; the Squad Leader above everyone else has to know what the message is."

"So if it was one of us who'd gone AWOL, she could tell him?" Zell asked and when Squall nodded he sucked his teeth. "Great. Okay, let's go find the numbskull."

When they got inside, there wasn't much to see; the structure was dark, save for the florescent lighting along the walls under the ceiling. From what Squall could see, this level was just a small circular room with a tall ceiling. There was a lift in the very middle, and the platform was rising to meet the top of the room. Squall assumed Seifer had taken it up.

"Guess we're taking the stairs," Zell said, shrugging.

"You can if you can find them," Selphie commented. "I don't see any other way of getting up there."

"She's right," Squall said. "We'll have to wait for the lift to come back down. And even then we wouldn't know which floor he stopped at."

"He's probably at the very top," Zell said. "Always likes to get the drop on everyone."

"Okay. Then I guess we'll start from there."

They waited for a few minutes until the lift finally sank back onto the floor where they were standing. Zell took one look at in and arched an eyebrow. "You sure this'll lift all of us?"

"Looks sturdy enough," Squall commented as he stepped onto the device. Selphie followed suit and, after a moment's hesitation, Zell did the same.

On the wall closest to Selphie there was a side panel filled with buttons. Squall wasn't about to count them, but he guessed the number stopped at about thirty, including emergency stop switches and controls to actually operate the lift. Selphie took one look at them before looking somewhat confused. Zell on the other hand seemed to have grasped the mechanics pretty well; he leaned forward and pressed a couple of buttons before they felt the lift lurch suddenly. A second later, they were rising through the ceiling, heading to the top.


	8. Chapter VII: The Communications Tower

**Edited: **_01/27/09_

**Edited: **_05/20/10_

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**Chapter VII:  
The Communications Tower**

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He was standing against a long metallic structure, the metal plating that had served as the panel facing him had been ripped off hours prior and revealed a glowing bluish-tinted reactor staring back at him. He didn't know how he was expected to fix this. He barely had a grasp on machines and how they worked. Still, orders were orders, and he wasn't about to disobey them.

He was hunched over the equipment, using the tools he'd been awarded to work with but not at all confident that what he was doing was helping any. He'd already been there for the better part of the day. Why couldn't they have gotten an expert to work on this?

_Because the stupid idiot wouldn't know how to protect himself should those Dollet idiots find us…_ he thought miserably to himself.

"Major Biggs!" A voice called from behind, causing him to drop the tool he was using and bang his head against the remainder of the plating. Fortunately for him he was still wearing his helmet, so the impact didn't hurt him any. After taking a moment to curse his subordinate, he pulled himself out from the structure, turned and stood at his full height of six feet.

Major William Biggs wasn't as impressive a sight to see with his uniform on, which matched all the other Elite Galbadian Soldiers. Normally, he'd be wearing an officer's uniform, which was adorned with medals and the insignia of his rank, but with the nature of the job and attacks being eminent, he'd thought it prudent to don the uniform of his subordinates. Unlike them, however, he was wearing a red jumpsuit and heavier looking armour.

He gathered he knew what the soldier was here for, as he'd already received reports of an attack in the lower sections of the tower, and he'd already told his men to hold him off until the repairs could be completed. Someone was going to pay if they'd sent someone to repeat the concern. "What is it?" Biggs barked. "I'm busy."

"Well…" the soldier said, noting that Biggs wasn't exactly in the best of moods. "There have been reports of some kind of monster hanging around the top of the tower…"

"And?" _At least it's something different. Equally insignificant, but different._

"Well, it's stopping the soldiers from making the repairs from their end, sir." The soldier continued, gulping audibly. "Three have fallen off the tower in the last few minutes, and I thought you should know…"

"They should be trained enough to know how to get rid of a stupid monster," Biggs snapped irritably. He didn't have time for this. "Don't you have patrolling that needs to be done? Go make yourself useful instead of standing around like some slacked-jawed idiot from Winhill."

The soldier fell into a hasty salute. "Sir…yessir!"

Biggs turned his back, dismissing the soldier, whose footsteps he heard moving rapidly away. He frowned to himself, continuing to tinker with the contents of the equipment. It was a few minutes later that he realized he was finally making some leeway.

"Just have to tighten that bolt and…" The generator started at long last; a dull humming sound filling the air around him. "Finally! All done!"

Even as the satellite dish sprung to life, Biggs overheard the lift rising up, and assumed it was the stupid soldier, attempting to make another report. Ignoring the man, he grabbed the control device for the Galbadians' most recent technical breakthrough and, smiling beneath his helmet, looked over the controls. He honestly couldn't wait to see what the Dollet Soldiers did when this thing found them.

"What do you think you're doing?"

The question startled Biggs, though it was due to the fact that it didn't sound familiar rather than as a result of his being left alone for a moment. He turned around, noting a dark haired male standing in front of him. Standing behind him was a blonde boy with the front of his hair spiked up in a stupid way, and a dark haired girl. All of them were dressed like someone who shouldn't be in combat in the first place, however all possibility of them being civilians were banished when he caught sight of the emblem on the side of the lead boy's jacket; he'd recognize symbol anywhere.

_Damn the Dukedom,_ he cursed mentally. _They called in SeeD after all._

Still, the kids - because that's what they looked like - standing before him didn't look like any SeeD he'd ever seen before. On formal occasions they wore a uniform unlike what these punks were wearing, and a lot of the times, they dressed casually in order to blend into the area. Biggs suddenly smirked when the only other alternative hit him; they were nothing but amateur students.

Folding his arms across his chest in an attempt to be intimidating, he barked out a laugh. "Likewise, you little brats; what do you thing _you're_ doing up here? Go back to your Garden and play 'SeeD' with the other little brats your age."

His comment had put them all off and he was about to wave them away when the weapon attached to a holster along the first kid's waist made him change his mind. It also made him think that maybe he shouldn't have jumped to conclusions as he had. The handle of the weapon was fitted for a gun, and yet it was attached to the blade of a sword.

_Holy shit,_ he thought to himself, _this kid's got a gunblade!_

"How did you get up here anyway?" Biggs suddenly asked, realizing belatedly that they shouldn't have been able to get up to him.

"Duh," the girl said in exasperation before pointing at the lift.

Biggs frowned. He'd already eluded that much, but when he was about to point it out, he realized that it might have had something to do with the intruder. All of his forces were either preoccupied with him, or they might have run for it. He wouldn't have put it passed them to do the latter.

Three against one wasn't exactly the ideal odds he'd want to face, even if the kids had the advantage in number, and his work was done. All he needed to do was get the hell out of dodge and make his report. "Wedge!" he shouted, hoping to grab the attention of his subordinate. "Take care of these punks!"

At first, the three brats tensed up, as though waiting for a fight, but when a moment passed, they visibly relaxed and Biggs was left there looking stupid, with his arm outstretched as he pointed at the brats, all the while wondering where Wedge had gotten off too. A dull wind blew by, it's howling was the only sound to disturb the awkward silence.

"Dude," The blonde haired boy said, and Biggs could make out a strange looking tattoo on the side of his face. "What the fuck?"

"Slacking off much?" The girl asked, equally unimpressed.

The brat with the gunblade folded his arms across his chest and raised an eyebrow, probably waiting for his next move. Biggs was determined not to be here when he finally decided what he was doing. "Um…" he said, lowering his hand. "It's been a terribly long day. I seem to be done here… so…" he started moving towards the lift; unobstructed as the kids were standing directly across from him. "I'll… uh… just be taking my leave." He coughed awkwardly, controller still in hand and stashed behind his back, as he made his way towards the lift.

But soon after he started moving, the blonde kid with the tattoo stepped in his path, folding his arms across his chest. "I think he asked you a question."

"Kinda rude not to answer," the girl called out.

"Oh to hell with this…" Biggs snarled as he pressed a couple of buttons on the metallic bands of his uniform. An instant later, a portion of the metal rose up, revealing a small submachine gun on both his arms. "I'll _force_ you outta the way!"

Before any of them could do anything, however, Biggs opened fire, forcing them to jump back in order to avoid being shot at. The girl, however, didn't really move that far. Instead she positioned her hands forward and the bullets bounced off a blue wall of magic.

_Dammit,_ Biggs cursed mentally. _I hate magic users._

Still, he knew a threat when he saw one and he charged forward, intent on knocking the girl out and making sure she couldn't turn the tables, but she thrust her hands up again, this time something attached itself onto his shoulder blades, forcing him up from the metal plate and into the air.

* * *

Selphie scowled as she manoeuvred the now floating soldier in the air, keeping her palms cupped together as she moved him left and right before flipping him upside down.

She'd learned how to do this at her previous Garden – utilizing float spells and being able to control their movements in the air. Of course she couldn't stop him from flailing his arms and legs in distress, or screaming at the top of his lungs, and the only time she could actually do this was immediately after the spell was cast, but he didn't need to know that.

"I got him!" She shouted gleefully, turning to look behind for a brief second; Squall and Zell, who had backed away from the bullets the soldier was shooting, had dropped into a fighter stance.

"You wish!" The soldier snarled, and he aimed the submachine gun right at Selphie's face. Just when she thought she was toast, she felt pressure from her side and fell onto the grated metal floor, her shoulder flaring in pain by the collision.

She looked up to see Zell pull himself to his feet, and further away Squall had charged forward, the gunblade pushing down on the soldier's arm (he'd apparently been released from her spell) in an attempt to keep him distracted.

"What're you trying to do? Kill yourself? Never, _ever_ look away from the enemy."

Selphie frowned and realized that he was absolutely right. Quickly, she rose to her feet and pulled the nunchaku she had strapped onto her back out, gripping both wooden sides, one in each hand. The metal chain kept the two sticks attached.

She charged forward just as Squall was thrown off and, rearing up, released her grip on the left stick, letting it lash out and hit the soldier in the back. The soldier was thrown off guard, and Selphie grinned excitedly. Without junctions she would never have been able to gather the momentum needed to cause that much harm.

He turned to her again, but Zell jumped forward. Selphie didn't know what he was gonna do, but she guessed it was gonna be a close fight; she hadn't noticed any weapons on him, and his knuckle gloves looked studded, so she assumed he was a close combat specialist.

Zell proved her right, swinging at the soldier's helmeted face with his left hand. When the soldier caught it, Zell dove in with his right, which got caught as well, but Zell kneed the soldier in the stomach. The soldier bent over, releasing his grip on Zell's fists and, cupping them together, Zell swung down, preparing to club him.

The soldier was pretty fast on his feet and he rolled out of the way before aiming his weapon, but two spells – one thunder, the other fire – hit the soldier in the chest as he was rising, knocking him back down.

Selphie had been the one to cast thunder and when she looked around, she caught sight of Squall charging in again, and assumed the second spell had come from him. She followed his actions, gripping both sticks under her right arm as she ran at him as well. Squall dropped down, Selphie swung her nunchaku, but this time, she missed. As soon as he'd been slashed, the soldier backed away before throwing his own hands out.

She heard thunder over head and, since the sky was clear, knew that the soldier had summoned a spell. The lightning arched in the sky and nailed Squall dead on; the other cadet appeared stunned for a moment before crouching down on one knee – the thunder spell had paralyzed him.

The soldier went to take advantage of the situation, except Selphie had other plans. Concentrating on the feeling of flying, she thrust her hands forward before, once again, feathered wings attached themselves onto the enemy's back, and he was lifted into the air just a few feet away from Squall.

"Now Zell!" Selphie shouted as she swung the soldier away from the prone cadet.

Zell apparently didn't need to be told twice. He used her as a ramp, running up her back, almost causing her to be knocked down and lose her concentration. Zell lunged for the soldier, spinning in mid air as the back of his heel hit the back of the soldier's head. Selphie released the float spell and the soldier careened into the ground with a resounding thud as Zell landed a couple of feet in front of him.

"You okay, Squall?" Selphie shouted as she ran towards him. Zell was keeping an eye on the fallen soldier.

Squall nodded once before rising to his feet. The paralysis must have worn off already; the benefits of having a junction. Selphie figured that, should she for some reason fail the exam, she'd start training with them. They were just that awesome.

Zell checked over the soldier; he was still alive. From the corner of his eye, he saw Squall and Selphie approaching him, but just as Squall was about to ask something, another soldier – this one in a blue jumpsuit – came up on the lift and, once he caught sight of them, opened fire with his sub machine gun.

The brawler back peddled, hoping to get away without getting hit, but Selphie stepped forward – almost in range of the gun fire – her hands clasped together.

"What the hell are you doing?" Zell shouted at her.

"Saving us!" Selphie responded before unclasping her hands and holding them out in front of her, palms facing the sky. After a second, she rose them up, almost like she was guiding something as she shouted, "Up, up!"

And strangely enough, the grated metal floor obeyed her; it stretched up from the ground, the metal kind of _growing_ as it rose up between the gunfire and Selphie, the bullets hitting the metal. Even the ones that should have gone through the holes didn't penetrate; there was some kind of invisible barrier forcing them back.

"Dude…" Zell said, his jaw dropping in awe as he turned to regard Squall, who looked just as surprised if not more so. "How'd you…?"

"It's magic manipulation," Selphie explained brightly. "Trabia Garden trains its cadets to be able to utilize stronger magic, since we don't train with Guardian Forces like you guys do. So while on the physical scale, I wouldn't do so well, I trump you guys in controlling magic."

"And that's what that thing is?" Zell asked incredulously and Selphie nodded.

"But I can't explain the mechanics when it comes to Wall," Selphie continued. "I just think that it's enough to know I can do it."

"We won't win this fight by defence alone," Squall interrupted.

Zell looked through the holes of the wall, and reflexively flinched when a bullet hit the barrier in front of him; for a second he thought he'd been done for. He could also see that the soldier in red had gotten up – probably because of curative magic – and both of them were shooting at them. He knew Squall was right, but he didn't really like their odds if they got out from behind their cover.

"Are you kidding me?" Zell shouted over the gunfire, even though he knew Squall didn't joke around. "We go out there and we're Swiss cheese!"

"Not a problem." Selphie said before clasping her hands together. A second later, she separated her palms again, but this time she arched her arms around the front as she said, "Scatter!"

And just like that, the wall vanished like it hadn't been there in the first place; tiny particles of light flying up into the darkened sky above them. Below them, the ground looked undisturbed; there was no sign that it had been forced to rise and bend unnaturally.

Instantly after the wall disappeared, Selphie charged forward, withdrawing the giant nunchaku that was holstered to her back. Zell shouted after her, but Selphie didn't stop, even as the soldiers opened fire. Miraculously enough, the bullets never hit their target, instead bouncing off the same blue shield she'd conjured up earlier.

"Dude…" Zell breathed, even as he caught movement from his right.

"Don't stand there marvelling it," Squall snapped as he charged past, "C'mon!"

Remembering his place, Zell charged after Squall, even as Selphie tackled the soldier in blue and caused his aim to change. The soldier in red looked like he was about to shoot her when Squall prepared to slash him with an upward cleave. The soldier had the sense in mind to duck, and Zell hit the ground, using the momentum that kept him moving to propel himself along the floor. He collided into the soldier, knocking him onto his face, but made Squall's side-slash miss entirely.

"Sorry, man!" Zell shouted as he came to a stop and rolled onto his stomach.

He heard a startled cry, and looked over to see Selphie hit the ground beneath them before rolling out of the way. The soldier in blue had opened fire with his machine gun.

"Take him," Squall said, indicating the soldier in red – who was just climbing onto his feet – before taking off to help Selphie.

"Gee, thanks…" Zell muttered before pushing himself onto all fours and propelling himself into the air a little, adjusting his stance and landing in a crouch before he leapt towards the downed soldier.

* * *

Just before the soldier in blue could attack Selphie again, Squall charged in, aiming an upward slash onto the soldier's back. The attack landed, and the soldier was propelled forward, until Selphie lifted her foot and kicked him in the chin.

"Thanks," Selphie said, grinning sheepishly, as she pulled herself up onto her feet.

The soldier seemed to regain his bearings, because he looked to Selphie and then to Squall before turning to look at the red soldier. "Major Biggs!"

Squall saw an opportunity and took it; he raised his gunblade and aimed a downward cleave to the soldier's head. The soldier looked back just in time and, withdrawing a short sword, he raised the weapon up over his head and both blades collided, the sound of grinding metal filling the air. Gritting his teeth, he turned to Selphie and inclined his head in the direction he'd last saw Zell. "Go help him," he said.

And Selphie left him without a word, nodding as she did. Almost immediately afterwards, the soldier pushed his blade up, forcing Squall back with his hands above his head – he was unguarded. The soldier attempted to capitalize as Squall's defences were lowered, but quickly Squall ducked the sideward slash. He was forced to duck it again as the soldier repeated the action before he finally raised the gunblade to cut off a third strike. However, the soldier appeared to have expected that; he raised his boot-clad foot and kicked the cadet away, Squall landing roughly onto his side.

From what he could see, Selphie hit the red soldier – Biggs – in the back of the head with the nunchaku and Zell swept his leg underneath him, sending him down again. It seemed as though he'd made the right choice; from what the other soldier had said, Biggs was apparently a Major – not someone they really wanted to pick a fight with. Strangely enough, though, it appeared that they were the ones with the upper hand.

He directed his attention back to the fight, and saw that the soldier in blue was getting ready to cast a spell. He only wondered about what it could have been for a brief second before he realized exactly what he was lying on; the metal floor conducted electrical attacks; no matter where the spell landed, it was sure to hit him.

He knew he couldn't move out of the way in time, so he did the only thing he could and started casting a spell of his own. Both casters finished at the same time; throwing their spells out at each other, and instantly the sky darkened for the briefest of seconds before two lightning bolts careened from the sky and hit both their targets.

Stars and bits of static exploded in his vision – he was dimly aware of the back of his head hitting the ground beneath him, and he was sure he heard a thud that suggested the soldier was down as well. He tried to will himself to stand, but found that his body wouldn't respond. The electric energy must have scrambled the signals running from his brain to the appropriate limbs.

_Paralyzed yet again…_ he thought grimly to himself.

Though it was probably only minute, it felt like a long time had passed before he could actually move again. He was pulling himself into a sitting position when he heard a startled cry, but could do nothing as Zell flew right into him, knocking him back down. As Zell pulled himself off of him (apologizing profusely), he heard another thud and felt Selphie roll into him as well.

All three cadets were in the process of rising to their feet when he heard the familiar click of a submachine gun. He looked up to see Biggs pointing the weapon right in their vicinity. He didn't have to look to know Selphie and Zell knew this as well and, almost instantly, the trio froze in their movements.

The soldier in blue was coming over to them, his own submachine gun raised – at some point he'd holstered the short sword. Squall didn't wonder about the man's quick recovery; he'd learned from Garden that Galbadian Soldiers tended to wear magic resistant armour. While magic affected them, it provided some form of protection.

"Even with GF's," Biggs snarled through his helmet, "you're still nothin' but little punks trying to play war. Putting each of you out of your misery's a blessing, I'm sure."

Just as Biggs was about to open fire, Squall caught movement from behind and ducked down; from the corner of his eye he saw Selphie and Zell do the same. An instant later, there was a shout of pain and outrage from above, and when he looked up (though he didn't have to), he could see the reason why; Seifer had just arrived on the lift, and his hand was outstretched, the last threads of magic from the spell he'd cast disappearing from the center of his palm.

"Sorry to crash the party," he said, almost as if he were a character in some action film.

The two soldiers whirled around and Seifer charged, the Hyperion withdrawn. Squall was fairly certain he heard Biggs say, "Another one? What the fuck?" But he wasn't willing to stay around to verify.

"Move!" he shouted, knowing what Seifer was capable of when he wanted to get into a fight. Selphie and Zell did as told and all three of them were able to get out of the way as Seifer slashed up, knocking the blade that the soldier in blue had withdrawn to counter. The momentum of the action forced the soldier back, even as Seifer spun on the spot, hitting Biggs in the chest with a well aimed kick.

"Just who the hell does he think he is?" Zell asked, getting back up onto his feet.

"Go ask him," Squall said, though Zell had a point; it was like Seifer to make reckless moves like he was currently, but the added bravado (more so) was starting to irritate him. It was like Seifer was treating this whole exam like some kind of game.

Selphie rose to her feet as well, as Seifer knocked both soldier's back and away. Biggs and his subordinate fell onto the metal ground beneath them as Seifer turned to regard them. "The fuck are you all doing on the ground?"

"You never gave us an opening!" Zell shouted.

Seifer scoffed. "In a _real_ fight, you don't wait for your team to give you an opening; you find one yourself. Are you _that_ stupid Chickenwuss? I bet someone _else_ wrote your exam and signed your name on it outta pity."

Zell started to tremble, his fists clenched so tightly at his sides that the knuckles were turning white. Squall scowled; he had to calm down Zell before he really did do something stupid, but Selphie, who appeared unfazed by the comments, stepped forward. "Squad leader, I have a message…"

Seifer whirled around when they all heard movement; the two soldiers were getting back up onto their feet. "Not now!" Seifer said, immediately moving to their position.

"But it's important!" Selphie protested.

"I said not _now_!"

Looking very agitated, Selphie balled her tiny hands into fists and Squall thought for a moment she and Zell were going to team up to knock some sense into Seifer. But she proved him wrong when she said in a firm tone, "If they," she said, indicating the soldiers, "weren't here, _then_ would you listen?"

"Wouldn't have a reason not to, I suppose," Seifer said, clearly exasperated.

"Okay, fine!" Selphie snapped and once again, she positioned her hands together so that the palms were touching. After a second, she moved her arms in the same gesture she'd used when she'd summoned to floor to provide them with cover. "Bye, bye!" she said.

And instantly after she said the words, wings that were much larger than the previously summoned float spells appeared and attached themselves onto the shoulder blades of the two soldiers and lifted them up into the air higher than they'd been before. Both of them began to protest loudly, the blue soldier waving around frantically for a means of getting back onto the ground, while the other tried to manoeuvre himself through the air – apparently he thought she was going to drop him over the edge.

Zell stared at the two soldiers, awestruck by what had just happened, while Squall just stared at Selphie, wondering what other kinds of magic she could possibly know. He vaguely wondered why she hadn't just done this in the first place and saved them the trouncing they'd recieved. "Are you going to drop them?"

"Nope," Selphie shook her head as her hands returned to her side. "Those wings'll fly them somewhere else."

She turned to regard the Squad leader, but stopped at the look of his face. Seifer looked furious, almost like he was contemplating killing her for what she did. Squall knew that Seifer was always looking for a fight and to have one just taken away from him like it was some toy he wasn't allowed to play with must have killed him inside. "What the _fuck_ did you do that for?"

"Well, you said if they weren't here, you'd hear me out," Selphie said, for what it was worth she was at least standing her ground.

"You're fucking brain dead!" Seifer snarled, making Selphie jump slightly. "You don't just fucking _make _them disappear because you have something to fucking say!"

"What's done is done," Squall finally broke in and received a mutinous glare from Seifer for his action. "They're gone now, so there's no point wasting time arguing about it."

But just as those words had left Squall's mouth, the wind – a soft breeze – turned violent, whipping around them and making his face sting. Selphie and Zell put their arms up in order to guard their own faces, but in Zell's case it wasn't that much better as he'd rolled up the sleeves of the jacket he wore to his elbows.

"What the fuck shit is this?" Seifer yelled over the wind, which was now howling as though furious.

"Grab the plating!" Squall shouted as he did just that. "We don't want to get blown off the ledge!"

"That's for sure!" Selphie said as she gestured to their side. Squall turned to where she indicated and watched as a wrench fell through the gap in the floor. The disappearance of the tool caused Squall to look beneath them. It was a 600 metre drop below the plating, if not more. Knowing that not even dental records would be able to identify him should he fall into the abyss, Squall forced himself to look back up, resolving that he was _not_ going over the edge.

He heard shouts from above and noticed that Biggs and his partner – still being held up by Selphie's wings – were forced to spin around in a very large circle, their bodies rotating rapidly in mid air.

"Oh no!" Selphie cried. "Rapture's not gonna work properly! It's not designed for high winds!"

Almost a second after she'd spoken, the large wings disappeared from the backs of the two soldiers and they were unceremoniously tossed to the ground. The blue soldier rolled along the plating before stopping just shy of Seifer's position, while Biggs flew into the contraption they'd seen him working on. Nothing showed that the work had malfunctioned, but Squall wasn't exactly in the position to check.

At any case neither soldier moved and, an instant later, the four cadets discovered the cause of the high winds. It was a monster – one that appeared to be larger than even Ifrit. Its skin was purple save for the claw-like hands, which were a dark red. The base of its body an earthy mass, but at the base was a long black stinger that Squall didn't think he wanted near him. Its face was brutish – yellow eyes, thick nose and a squared chin that jutted out to the middle of its chest, despite its long curved neck. It had two horns the colour of its hands, though unlike Ifrit's sharp looking horns, these were rather blunt looking, and keeping it aloft were a pair of blackish-red wings that weren't unlike a bats, but were a thousand times bigger. As it opened its mouth, Squall could see steaming air wasping out like the body was some kind of boiling kettle.

"What the hell is that?" Zell shouted in shock as it loomed closer.

"A monster, dip shit," Seifer snapped, "What the hell else could it be? It musta seen the idiots floatin' up there and came to chow down."

"How was _I _supposed to know there were monsters on the roof?" Selphie shouted indignantly.

"Doesn't matter!" Squall shouted. "It's here now, and we have to deal with it."

"Are you insane?" Zell shouted back. "Look at the _size_ of that thing!"

"Then the Chickenwuss can hang back," Seifer yelled as he stood up. Hyperion still in hand, he rushed the monster, charging low to keep himself from flying off the lip of the tower.

"From what I remember," Squall shouted at the other two, Zell appearing mutinous from Seifer's comment, "Wind monsters don't like Thunder, and it's a big enough target that we shouldn't miss."

"On three?" Selphie asked, immediately getting the idea.

"On three," Squall confirmed, and though he began concentrating on the element, he watched Seifer slash into the base of the creature and duck out of the way of a swipe from its massive hands. He waited until the elder cadet was out of range of the blast before shouting out, "three" and as one, all three of them released their spells, watching as three strikes of lightning propelled down from the sky and hit the monster off the top of its head.

The monster roared loudly in response and Squall risked rising to his feet, hunching over and rooting his feet against the metal as best he could. Selphie and Zell mirrored this action, even as the monster shook off the effects. It hadn't been as effective as Squall had hoped. But that didn't mean he was giving up on the idea entirely.

"Help Seifer," Squall shouted once more, directing Selphie and Zell's attention to him. "Distract it, keep its attention away from me."

"What're you gonna do?"

"I think we need a bigger charge. Just be ready to get out of the way."

Zell knew exactly what he was talking about and, grabbing Selphie by the arm, he guided her towards the creature. Squall just hoped that this would work.

As he gathered up his concentration, he watched as Zell dove into the fight, punching the creature. He saw Selphie stop for a second, before a white energy flew from the creature's chest and collided with her, right before she lashed out with a thunder spell. Seifer kept charging in as close as he could. Whenever Zell wasn't punching it, Seifer was slashing at it with the Hyperion.

Squall frowned. His plan wouldn't work if they were all collected like that. If anything, it'd get them all killed. So when he had collected the necessary energy he needed, he hesitated instead of launching it, keeping his focus and willing himself to hold on for another few minutes.

Zell was suddenly swatted out of the way and the momentum of the action caused the brawler to collide into Selphie. An instant later, Seifer was given the same treatment, though he landed closer to Squall. Now that they were out of range, Squall released the energy, breathing in deeply as he felt the static electricity surround him from all sides.

The sky darkened even more than it already was and clouds gathered around the once clear skies, charging the air with a current that made everyone's hair stand on end. An instant later, a crack of thunder and a flash of lightning broke through the howling skies as a jolt of lightning lanced down, though instead of hitting anything, the resulting bolt transformed itself into a shapeless yellow bird. It sported no beak that Squall could see, and it had no feet – more like the ripples of what looked to be the bottom of a gown. More of the ripples appeared in the creature until it reached its wings – not really wings as much as it appeared to be the sleeves of some elegant looking robe.

Quezacotl, God of Thunder, materialised in all its glory, the creature aimed its nose down at the wind monster and, summoning energy that poured onto the end of its beak, it released charges of electricity that shot into the monster. Squall watched as it twitched involuntarily as it was run through with the element before the bird vanished as quickly as it had arrived, the storm clouds disappearing with it.

The monster shuddered involuntarily from the electrical energies, but it was still standing, and again it had not become paralyzed.

Tightening his grip on the Revolver, Squall frowned, knowing that if GFs couldn't handle it then there wasn't much they could do but get in there and fight. He did exactly that, just as Selphie summoned forth another spell. This one a dark energy that smashed into the monster before encircling it and dissipating just as quickly. Squall slashed at the monster's base, and Zell used his back as a vaulting instrument, climbing onto the chest of the monster and trying to find his way up even higher.

Squall thought he had the right idea, but before he could do the same, the monster suddenly grabbed a hold of Zell (he had apparently thought Squall had thoroughly distracted it) and threw him into the gunblader, both of them rolling onto the ground before it released a burst of powerful wind from its mouth.

Seifer had grabbed a hold of the metal plating beneath them, but much too quickly did Squall and Zell pass him, before the former realized with a sinking feeling that the both of them would be going over. He tried to grab a hold of the plating, but each time he did, the wind would force him to move further back, and a stinging sensation of his hand impacting the metal hard would flare up along his arm. He could tell Zell wasn't having as much luck from the curses he heard to his left.

And soon there was nothing beneath them to support them. The lurching feeling that came from beginning to plummet made Squall's stomach rise, but having become out of range of the monsters wind blast, he grabbed a hold of the floor just as he went over, Zell doing the same beside him...


	9. Chapter VIII: The Hike Back

**Edited: **_01/27/09_

**Edited: **_05/21/10_

* * *

**Chapter VIII:  
The Hike Back**

* * *

When the harsh wind finally decreased its intensity, Selphie allowed her arms to drop, having raised them to shield her face, looking up almost tentatively through bangs that had regained their spot atop her forehead. While it was still billowing smoke like a boiled-over kettle, it seemed to have expelled all the air that it had breathed down upon them. It swatted down at her, forcing her to dodge the colossal hands and she formed a clumsy roll as she clutched at her nunchaku with both hands.

Recovering quickly, the girl looked up and spotted the squad leader lunging forward, gunblade raised in preparation to attack. It took her a few seconds to realize he was the _only _one she could see. Squall and Zell were nowhere in the vicinity.

For a frightful second, Selphie was almost scared that they had been thrown from the tower, and continued to search desperately, never keeping her eyes from the wind monster for more than a few seconds. Giving up for lost, her sights returned to the blonde fighter and she raised her voice in order to be heard over the howling wind. "Where's Zell and Squall?"

"Probably fell over," Seifer shouted back almost candidly before swinging his gunblade from the left. He missed his target, the wind monster seemingly floating up higher and out of his reach. The squad leader made an irritated noise in the back of his throat.

Selphie was suddenly floored at the sight, left to blink stupidly at his callous response. There were no concern in the words spoken, not even a hint of worry. It was almost as though he didn't even care.

But she knew that couldn't be true. Seifer was selected to be the squad leader and she doubted that would have happened if he was as selfish as it appeared he was. The mission was important, but so was the safety of the rest of the team. Obviously, their mission was a bust, so the least Seifer could do was to keep an eye out for his teammates, make sure they were okay.

In spite her doubts however, she could most definitely see a problem with this picture. Seifer's startling priority with killing the monster rather than working with the others paired with the commentary she'd overheard from the others (mostly from Zell, Squall didn't seem like the 'talking' type) was definitely sending alarm bells through the brunette's head.

"Don't you care?" She asked. "Aren't you even gonna check to see if they're still alive?"

"Kinda busy at the moment," Seifer said through a grunt as he dodged another swipe attack. His gaze never left from the monster in front of him. "And if they fell overboard, it's their problem, not mine."

Before she could stop it, her jaw dropped at the horrible explanation and she was torn between slapping him silly or screaming at him. Instead, she was only able to look between Seifer and the empty space that had once been where the other half of their group had been, suddenly thankful she'd ended up on an entirely different squad as she was at a loss of what to do in this predicament. On the one hand, there was a ginormous monster breathing wind down on them threatening their existence at this very moment. But on the other hand, she wanted to find Zell and Squall, to make sure they were alright.

"Are you just gonna stand there or are you gonna gimme a hand?" Seifer roared at her so suddenly that the diminutive girl jump in surprise. He offered her only a glare before ducking into a rolling dodge, very narrowly avoiding the monster's massive hand as it swatted at him.

The more she watched the fight, the more she decided that Seifer had the situation under control. Despite his annoyed question, she doubted he would miss her presence for a few minutes. If anything, she was saving him the burden of barking orders in her direction. Besides, he wasn't _really _her squad leader. After all, she was a member of another squad, and _her _squad leader never mentioned anything about a change of command once she reached Squad B and gave them the message. And even if he _had, _she hadn't told them the message yet.

So she turned her back on the blonde gunblader, bit her lip as she searched the lid of the tower, and hoped against hope that they really hadn't gone over. Seifer was mentally damaged if he didn't care about his team but despite the short time she'd known them, she liked both teenagers and wanted to find them at any cost.

After a few seconds of searching and finding no sign of anything, she scowled in frustration. It sucked to only be able to depend on her sight, because the howling wind blocked out any other sound she could make. She could barely make out what Seifer had said to her when he'd yelled back at her. Calling out to them would be pointless.

Still, Selphie knew that there were more ways to spot someone than with just the naked eye.

She forced her eyes shut and concentrated on the spell she began to formulate, guiding the trendles of magic into her eyes. From behind the lids she could see the red retreat behind a bright white before fading into the grey that told her the spell was completed. Slowly opening her eyes, she was unsurprised to discover that her surroundings had also lost their colour and that she was unable to tell the difference between the varying shades of the grey that was now the metal beneath her feet. The sky was black, with lighter fluffs of grey that were the clouds. She could even make out the whirl of wind as it flew past them.

She looked behind her and spotted, for the first time since casting the spell, some colour amongst the grey. She could easily track the movements of both the monster and Seifer as they continued the fight, the latter showing more heat signs than what was considered normal for human beings. The knowledge that he was constantly moving explained that.

Looking back in front of her, Selphie turned her attention back towards the lid of the tower and her hopes fell when she realized she couldn't see any signs of life anywhere. But when she looked down, she almost jumped back when she saw something she didn't expect.

There were energy signatures coming from the base of the lid. It almost looked like the tips of fingers.

She blinked sharply and was momentarily mesmerized – like she always was – when the grey dispersed back into red. She opened her eyes to normal surroundings, filled with the colours they ordinarily possessed in the dark and rushed forward towards the edge, realizing that what she had seen really were fingers – two sets of them to be precise. One set were fingers exposed from a set of gloves while the other set were bare.

She cheered outright, happy that they were still alive, but was forced to stop when the wind picked up once again, almost more violent than before. The Trabian cadet ducked down and gripped at the grated flooring as tightly as she could, knowing that, because she was the smallest, she wouldn't even have a chance to grab some surface before she was flung from the tower.

Her hair blew back and her short bangs got in her field of vision, slapping almost viciously against her forehead like pellets on metal. She squeezed her eyes shut as the wind whooshed about all around her, feeling like a sharp thing slashing against cheeks that she tried to protect with her arms. Every second she waited felt like an entire lifetime and she cursed, knowing that at this rate she wouldn't reach them before, eventually, one of them slipped and fell.

Miraculously she managed to hear a shout from nearby and her head shot up almost instinctively. Almost equally as surprisingly she also realized that the wind had died down.

But she didn't have a chance to celebrate, because she realized the sets of hands had decreased by more than half. The only hand that remained was ungloved. During the onslaught on wind, Zell must've lost his grip and Squall probably caught him before he could fall. But Selphie had to act quickly, because she knew there was no telling how long Squall could last.

She forced herself up onto her knees and raised her hands, concentrating on the sensation of flying before releasing her spell, throwing it out in front of her. But just as her arms flew out in front of her, her stomach rose up into her throat as the only hand keeping the pair from falling fell from view.

For one horrible feeling second, Selphie thought she'd cast the spell too late. But then that moment passed and she saw both of them being lifted up over the lid, white wings having sprouted from their backs. It took Selphie another full moment before she remembered she was still in control of the spell and she waved her hands in a beckoning motion, pulling them over the metal flooring beneath them. Only when she was sure they wouldn't fall over did she release the spell and the pair fell barely an inch towards the floor. Squall managed to land into a hastily formed crouch whereas Zell was not nearly as lucky, landing on his backside and wincing through a quick intake of breath. Selphie couldn't blame them. It wasn't every day when someone thought they were going to fall to their death.

Selphie allowed herself a sigh of relief before cheering loudly, knowing they were safely back on the tower and that _she _was the one responsible, without anyone else's help.

Okay, so maybe 'safe' was a relative term. They still had the monster to take care of, after all. No one was safe until after they got rid of it.

"Okay, so you've got your reunion," Selphie heard Seifer shout from where he was currently fighting said monster. "Now get off your asses and do something useful for a change!"

Selphie whirled on him and stuck out her tongue. If it had been his way, Squall and Zell would have plummeted and he wouldn't have even batted an eye. She was starting to see what Zell had been talking about. He didn't care about his squad mates. He barely even cared about the mission. Seifer was on a power trip, concerned with only his glory. She couldn't help but wonder why the higher ups even put him in charge if he was so bad.

Still, Squall and Zell didn't say anything about the attitude. In fact, it seemed like they were desensitized to the treatment. Wordlessly, the pair got back up onto their feet and did as told, heading straight for the monster. As they passed by Selphie – who was too stunned to move – she did notice Zell flash her a look, one that was filled with a gratefulness that she could tell he felt. It was enough of a motivator to get her moving and joined them in re-entering the battle, grinning widely as she did.

* * *

The first thing he did was to bring forth his spell, knowing he had no hope of hitting the monster from the ground. Squall and Seifer wouldn't either, even if their gunblades added extra length and even if Selphie swung her oversized nunchaku at the creature, there was no guarantee she would land a hit.

Regardless of these facts, they still had to try. The monster likely had no intention of letting them just walk away.

So Zell broke out into a run when he was far enough away from the lid of the tower and threw his spell forward. The conjured ball of ice that seemingly appeared out of nowhere hit the monster in the side of the head as though he'd just pelted it with a snowball. His blizzard spell was followed shortly after by a blast of fire that came from the direction Seifer was in and by arcs of thunder that flew from both Selphie and Squall's outstretched palms. Unfortunately, all four spells did nothing except for piss the monster off. With a roar it lunged right at them, causing everyone to scatter in an attempt to dodge while it tried to impale them with its stinger.

Zell hit the ground hard but didn't stop his movement, forcing himself to roll to the side and right himself up before he could move too far. It'd been luck that had kept him from falling the first time and he wasn't about to test it by repeating the experience.

So when he spotted the monster inhaling as much air as its bloated chest could hold, Zell ducked down low to the ground and gripped the grated flooring as tightly as his fingers would allow, watching as everyone else did the same. Seconds later, the monster expelled the air from its lungs, testing everyone's grip as it attempted to push them off the tower. The only improvement from his previous position was he could no longer see the impressive (and horrifying) view of Lapin Beach beneath him.

Gritting his teeth against the wind that bit into his flesh, Zell cursed. Magic wasn't doing anything and everyone's attacks were shit against it if no one could actually connect. Punching the ground in frustration, the brawler ignored the sharp throb that resulted from it as he watched the monsters through the slits of his eyelids. If they could someone climb up and connect some serious hits onto the monster, they could probably get out of this thing by the skin of their backs.

But the question remained. How were they going to get close enough to inflict some real damage?

They would need more than one person to work it, that was for sure. Cooperation was most definitely the key here, but he didn't know if there would be any time to relay the message. Even one person distracting its attention would be helpful at this point, but would it be enough to get in close enough?

Zell turned to the left more to shield his face than to survey his surroundings, though this didn't stop him from spying Selphie concentrating on clinging to the floor. The brawler was almost outraged when he spotted Seifer attempting to rise up against the hail of wind and knew it would serve the idiot right if he was blown off the tower for his efforts. Squall was in much the same condition as him, but then the other cadet looked in his direction, probably shielding his face from the wind.

But after a moment, Zell could tell he was staring at him intently, like he was trying to convey a sudden message and suddenly Zell understood. He would never profess to know Squall well enough to be able to tell what he was thinking. Sure, they had been roommates, but that had only lasted a year and the guy barely ever spoke much less communicated with any one person before, but somehow Zell had the feeling they were thinking along the same lines.

His expression hardened in understanding and he nodded, almost expecting a look of confusion to cross the other boy's features. But Squall nodded back, cementing his earlier suspicions and he knew then they were committed.

Seconds later, the wind finally eased up, but neither Squall nor Zell gave the monster time to start up again. Almost like they were one unit they sprung up onto their feet before sprinting forward towards the monster. Each moved as fast and as far as their legs would allow them, knowing that whoever reached it first would serve as the distraction to the colossal beast.

Squall proved faster and, gunblade in hand, he leapt up as high as he could against the wind current and slashed at the base of the monster. It was a stroke of luck that he actually hit home. The blade bit into the base and stuck there. When the monster rose up, Squall lost his footing on the ground and was forced to dangle with only the weapon keeping him from falling. The brunet pulled the trigger once, twice, three times, the blasts echoing so loudly they rang through even the howling of the wind surrounding them. Each blast caused the monster to shudder and it occupied itself by attempting to dislodge the gunblader off.

Zell took the opportunity to look for something – anything – that would give him a good running start. All he needed was a momentary boost and he could scale the rest of the monster without worry. Nearby, Selphie was firing spell after spell at the monster, blasts of ice and fire and thunder colliding with the stomach of the creature in an attempt to back up Squall. She was mindful of where the spells hit, because one misfired spell would either fry Squall or knock him clear of the monster.

As Zell continued his search for some added leverage, he unintentionally found Seifer behind the monster, attempting to slash at the monster whenever it got low enough to reach, and flinging fireballs at it when it was too high up. A hint of inspiration struck the brawler, who couldn't help but grin at the thought. There wasn't really anything else around that would give him the added boost he needed, and he'd kind of been using people as springing boards all day long anyway. So really, what was one more person? Besides, he'd be lying to himself if he said the asshole didn't deserve it, with everything he's put them through today already.

His mind set, Zell charged over in a spring, feeling much slower than normal but aiming for his goal, hoping that Seifer didn't suddenly jump out of the way before he reached him.

When he was close enough, he pushed himself up off the ground as high as he could manage, keeping his feet flat and knees bent as he completed the leap. Seconds later, the soles of his boots were planted firmly along Seifer's shoulders just as the Squad leader had been about ready to blast the monster with another fire spell. The attack was aborted and Seifer shifted at the very moment Zell propelled himself forward, knocking the taller teenager back a step. Zell could still hear his curses even as he caught a hold of the monsters back, gripping tightly so as not to fall back down.

When he was sure he wasn't going to fall, Zell began his ascent up the back of the monster, finding it difficult to do without something to actually grab a hold of. But he shrugged the thought off, recalling the houses back in Balamb – all smooth and curved – and how he'd managed to climb them when he was younger. This was a cake-walk in comparison, or so he tried to tell himself.

But just as he reached the monster's neck, he was forced to hang on for dear life as the monster shook violently, roaring as he reached towards the ground, attempting to swat Selphie. The other cadet quickly moved out of the way, but Zell discovered that it was still swatting around the same area. He guessed that there was only one real target it could have been attacking, since Seifer was behind it.

And sure enough, he saw Squall a moment later get tossed off the monster and collide into Selphie, knocking her back down.

_Now or never,_ Zell thought to himself as he released his grip on the monster's neck, raised his arm up after balling a fist, and slammed it into the back of its neck.

He wasn't sure it did anything at first, but it didn't stop him from hitting the monster again and again in the same area. The number of punches grew as he picked up the pace. Next, he grabbed the back of the monster's head by the blunt horns and sent his knee colliding into the back of its skull before swinging his leg around and throwing his foot and right leg into the side of its face.

When he went to repeat the last move, the monster shifted its head and Zell almost slipped off the monster entirely, grabbing hold of its neck once more to keep himself from falling. The monster shook around multiple times, attempting to dislodge the brawler. Its hands were flapping around as it continued the struggle, knocked Seifer back into the adjacent wall that surrounded the lift, Selphie and Squall barely managed to get out of the way before being flung back as well.

Zell wasn't paying much attention. He held on for dear life, determined not to fall. But after a moment, he heard Selphie shout for him to drop and when he looked he saw her concentrating on something. He didn't doubt that it was some kinda spell.

Unfortunately he didn't have the opportunity to make that decision, because the monster finally grabbed him with its large claws and removed him from his latched on position before tossing him up into the air. Zell screamed as he flew up into the air, but as he slowed he knew instantly that the laws of gravity did not have his best interests in mind. He started to plummet from the sky, and hoped that the impact with the ground wouldn't be as painful as he thought it would.

He also realized that the monster had taken in another deep breath and realized it was trying to force him off the tower, _again_. Zell braced himself for impact, but felt a large tug from behind, almost like something was pulling him back. Zell looked up and saw wings had sprouted onto his back, but they weren't guiding him back onto the ground like he'd expected them too. When the hot air the monster exhaled shout out into the sky though, he realized why when he saw Selphie with an intense look of concentration on her face. She was trying to keep him out of range of the breath attack.

However the burst of air was interrupted and as the wings guided him back onto the ground, he understood why. Somehow, during all the confusion, Squall had managed to jump up high enough to slash at the monster's face before digging the gunblade into its collar bone, probably for leverage. An instant later, the gunblade was removed from its position and, with a powerful downward cleave Zell hadn't believed possible, the monster hit the ground with a thud. Selphie charged into the fight at that point, hitting the monster from afar with her nunchaku. Zell wasn't too far behind as he backed her up with spells. They weren't nearly as affective as his fists, but he didn't want to get between the gunblade and the monster.

Seemingly oblivious to their aid, Squall continued to slash at the monster, hitting it a dozen times in the face before he began focusing on the creature's base. Squall was moving so fast Zell was afraid that, should he blink, he'd miss something important and wondered if it was the result of some spell that had been cast. Either way it didn't matter, because one instant he was in front of the monster, and the next, he was _behind_ it with a gaping hole that was where the base should have been.

The monster fell to the ground behind Squall – in front of Zell and Selphie – and, strangely enough it began to disintegrate into nothing. The wind relaxed back into the breeze that had preceded the monster's initial arrival, and the particles that flew off the creature melded with the wind before the entire body had vanished.

There was silence for a moment, save for the sounds of Seifer rising to his feet, but Selphie shattered it, whooping and cheering. "Go _Squa-all_, go _Ze-ell_!" she chanted over and over again, her hands clenched around her nunchaku as she made a stirring motion with her arms.

Zell grinned, flashing her thumbs up before doing the same towards Squall, who'd collapsed onto his backside as soon as the monster disintegrated. Zell couldn't blame him. His own legs felt like they were gonna fall out from under him at any given moment; the adrenaline was slowly beginning to fade.

Seifer stood nearby, tapping the Hyperion over his shoulder with his back turned to all of them. Zell thought he was sulking because he didn't get to kill the monster. Honestly, Zell didn't really care that he hadn't either. It wasn't bothering them anymore. Hell, it could've died from a heart attack and the brawler would've been happy.

Zell sighed loudly and sank into a crouch, his fingers poking through the holes in the floor as he considered what they were going to do next. He looked over towards the fallen soldiers – Biggs – was lying close by on the plated ground, flat on his stomach. From the looks of it, neither one were going to wake up anytime soon.

"So…" Zell said at great length, even as Selphie continued her chanting. "What do we do with them?"

"Nothing," Seifer commented without turning to face any of them. "They ain't gonna do nothing now, so there's no point to deal with them."

Zell frowned thoughtfully before shrugging it off. _Whatever you say captain fucktard. _He just wanted this exam to be over and done with so he could go back to the Garden and get some sleep. The brawler was more than positive that he'd had enough stimulation, at least for one day, and it was gonna be a bitch when it all sank in. The mess of the Communication's Tower was gonna have to be reported, everything from their findings to the huge monster. Somehow, Zell thought it was gonna be a long night.

"Shut the hell up already!" The squad leader roared, causing Zell to jolt out of his musings. Zell looked around at the elder boy only to realize he was (for once) not the sole target of his glare, but that Selphie was. She had paused seeminly in midstride, her hands still positioned like she was holding some pole like object she was stirring into a pot. From the looks of it, she'd started a dance that meant she'd revolved around the spot. The silence that had originally been filled with Selphie's chanting rung almost as noisily and Zell would have prefered the chanting over it.

Glancing over at Squall, he caught sight of a shrug as the brunet took in the elder cadet's behaviour, an action Zell mirrored. He wondered if Seifer would have yelled at her to stop her chanting if his name had been thrown in there, but decided to let it go, because they still had the rest of the mission to take care of.

For her part, Selphie just stayed in her pose for a couple of seconds, surprise creasing her features as she blinked twice before she seemingly snapped out of it, allowing her hands to drop. With a cheeky grin that was the polar opposite to the sulking the brawler had expected, Selphie bounded straight for the squad leader, who had resumed the tapping of his weapon against his shoulder. Folding her arms behind her, she stopped when she was a few feet away, probably just barely out of reach of the Hyperion. Zell wondered how long she was going to get away with testing fate, and continued to watch all the same.

"Now," Selphie said, almost contemplatingly, "about that message…"

Seifer groaned, running a gloved hand over his face and Zell sprung up onto his feet, having completely forgotten about the reason for Selphie's presence. Behind him, he could hear Squall doing the same (though much more sedate about it) and he moved in closer to hear what was so important. Seifer, however, seemed to feel that it was more of a burden than anything, and waved at her dismissingly. "Alright, fine. If it'll shut you up, then let's hear it."

Selphie, seemingly ignoring Seifer's insult, cleared her throat importantly before speaking. "It's regarding our new orders."

"New orders?" Squall asked and Zell frowned, equally confused. Seifer raised an eyebrow, probably thinking the same thing Zell had been. If they'd stayed at the Central Square, they probably would have been forced to move anyway.

"What do you mean _our_?" Seifer asked suspiciously, raising an eyebrow. Zell wondered the same, but thought that maybe Selphie had been sent to assist them back at the Square. He doubted Seifer would be too thrilled with that. Offering to lend Seifer Almasy a hand was like trying to tell him he needed help. The blonde gunblader resented people thinking he needed help.

Selphie nodded once. "The message involves _everyone_ in the exam, not just us. All SeeD Candidates are to withdraw to the shore by 2230."

Zell's jaw dropped and he exchanged glances with Squall, noting that the other cadet was checking his watch. The expression on his face made the brawler's gut drop; it didn't look good.

"What?" Seifer shouted in outrage. The knowledge of having to leave was even worse than assuming others thought he needed help. "But there's still enemies around. They haven't been kicked outta Dollet yet!"

"Don't blame me," Selphie shot back defensively. "I'm just the messenger. I don't have any control over what the orders are, I just deliver them."

Seifer scowled and Selphie replaced her arms by her sides. He looked like he was about to say something, but Squall cut in, his own arm dropping to his side. "The order to withdraw takes priority, remember? I don't want to miss the vessel."

"What time's it now?" Zell asked, pulling himself to his feet.

"It's just come up to 2200 now," Squall answered grimly and Zell stared at him incredulously.

"Fuck," Seifer cursed, looking like he wanted to kick something. He settled on kicking Biggs after a moment. "That leaves us only thirty minutes to make a trip that took almost three hours. Fuck."

He ran his hand through his short blonde hair and scowled even more, as though this were all their fault. Zell remembered quite clearly who was responsible for all this, but he chose not to say anything. "Hope you greenies know how to run," Seifer sneered before he jumped up onto the lift.

"Hey!" Selphie shouted, but it was too late. The lift descended, taking the Squad leader with it. "What's his problem?"

"His ego," Zell deadpanned.

"We don't have time for his ego. We need to get back to the beach," Squall said, but Zell could tell he was just as disgusted with Seifer as the rest of them.

"It's gonna take a _miracle_ to get back in time," Zell groaned, punching the metal ground beneath them. It stung, and did nothing to alleviate the brawler's foul mood.

"Then we better start running," Squall said, just as the lift returned. When all three of them boarded the contraption, Zell pressed the button that would send them back down to the very bottom.

* * *

He waited until he was absolutely certain that the twerps had left before he lifted his head off the ground. He'd been conscious for the last few minutes and had watched as the four brats took care of the monster. It had taken everything he had to stay awake, and he didn't know if he could stay conscious for much longer. He'd actually been sure the tattooed kid had been about to out him, only for the blonde guy - who looked like he was in charge - to call him off. Biggs could've laughed then, the kid was a bigger fool than he thought.

But now that he was alone, he crawled on all fours towards the device that had been knocked out of his grip earlier. It was a hand held controller for Galbadia's newest weapon. They had originally planned to test it on the Dollet soldiers, but SeeD was the real threat here. Even if they were just cadets, they had to learn not to stand against the Galbadian Militia.

As he worked on the device, he rubbed his stomach with his free hand gingerly. He hoped this new weapon ate that arrogant shit-head alive, even if it was only in the figurative sense. It took only a couple of minutes to get the machine up and running, and another couple to change the target description. Pulling a couple of switches and activating the program, he watched for a moment as the machine sprung to life before he lost the fight to stay conscious, falling flat on his face and allowing the device to drop back onto the metal floor, thoughts of revenge being the final thing that cross his mind before his world turned black.

* * *

Riding the platform down to the main floor had taken five precious minutes they did not have and Squall's frown deepened when they reached a full stop. Zell was right; physically they wouldn't be able to get back to the beach before the transport left them behind, but that didn't mean they couldn't try. While he wasn't exactly one for optimism, it was the only thing he could cling onto as the three of them started at a run, re-entering the outside.

But just moments after they emerged from within the Communications Tower, Squall heard a noise from above. At first the thought that the monster had not actually died crossed his mind before he shook it off. They'd watched the remains disintegrate. The next thought was that he was hearing things, but by the looks of Selphie and Zell (who looked puzzled) that was also not the case. Finally, he looked up, thinking that perhaps he'd heard rolling thunder, even though the sky was clear.

But what he did see startled him and the others to the point where they backed away from the tower; something large looking was moving towards the edge of the tower; something that looked like it was crawling on four legs. A moment later it jumped, rocketing down onto the ground, and forcing all three teenagers to scatter as they avoided being crushed underneath it. The ground shook from the objects impact and when Squall looked up as the dust settled, he knew that it couldn't have been anything good. The monster was huge. It was much bigger and wider than the wind monster, but it had no indication that it could fly. It had thick legs that ended at points to hold its massive bulky body above ground, and pincers right underneath what could only be described as the monster's face.

"I've _never_ seen a monster that looked like _that!_" Selphie exclaimed, holding her nunchaku tight. Though they had scattered, they'd all managed to leap in the same general direction.

"That's _not_ a monster," Zell said, taking in its appearance. "It's a _machine_."

"A scary looking one," Selphie muttered.

"The Galbadian's must have sicked it on us!" Zell exclaimed, frowning. "I thought those guys were down for the count!"

"Looks like we were wrong," Squall said. "We don't have time to deal with that thing."

"Somehow, I don't think we have a choice," Selphie said.

It turned out she was right. Even as they were talking, the machine was slowly turning to face them. Squall caught a scrawl of numbers written along its side as it moved – X-ATM092 – but written over them in white spray-paint were the words 'black widow'. Just as they were taking their first steps back, the monster shot out a blast that was aimed directly at them.

Squall dodged to the left. He caught Zell moving to the right, but Selphie stood rooted to the spot. She raised her arm in the air while making some kind of gesture and the blast suddenly stopped in front of her, the bright blue light of the protect spell she had cast preventing the blast from hitting her. However, it appeared to have been stronger than Selphie had originally thought, because the resulting shockwave caused by the two connecting energies encouraged a thick cloud of dust to fly up, forcing the diminutive cadets hair to fly all over the place, even as she brought her arms up to shield her face.

Just when Squall thought the protect spell would win, the machine readied another blast, though this time it was aimed for Selphie's feet. Zell must have noticed as well, because he tackled her from the other side, knocking her onto the ground and forcing the attack to fly by, hitting the ground behind them and causing a crater.

"Thunder spells!" Zell shouted. "Overload it with thunder!"

Squall didn't waste any time drawing the magic from the confines of his mind and throwing it out, watching as the sky darkened around the metal tank and struck it with thunder. Unfortunately, it did nothing; the magic slid off it like water on slick rocks.

Zell cursed – definitely not a good sign – even as he charged forward with every intention of stepping on the pair like ants. Squall knew it wouldn't be a permanent solution, but he concentrated on the cold again, willing the freezing blast not to come from the air but towards his hands. He instantly felt the results; cold air collected in his palm and stung as a frigid burning sensation ran up his wrists. Moments later, crystalized ice began to form in Squall's upturned fingers, growing bigger and bigger as the machine carried itself closer and closer towards Selphie and Zell.

At the same time as Squall released the spell – throwing it like he would an overly large ball – Selphie cast a spell of her own. A pink shield flashed into existence between the monster and the cadets. However, Squall's ice ball landed right where he'd hoped – the monster stepped on it. It did not have the intended result as the machine's limbs merely tore it in two, but it got Selphie and Zell back up to their feet as Squall threw fire spell after fire spell into the tank's face, watching almost helpless as nothing happened as he closed the distance between himself and the others.

"Let's get the hell outta here!" Zell shouted at the top of his lungs. Squall didn't disagree, but he also knew that the machine would simply chase them. They had to shut it down, but even as he checked his watch, he knew they were already cutting it close.

"It'll just chase after us!" Selphie argued, voicing the conclusion Squall had already drawn up.

"The machine's got some kinda coat on it," Zell said after cursing, even as the trio began to back away from it. The ground shook with each and every step the Black Widow took, the distance it pulled itself was far greater than any of their diminutive pairs of legs could get them. It'd be closer to them in no time. "If we can break it apart and get some kind of opening, we could fry its circuitry."

Squall immediately withdrew the gunblade – the only sharp weapon they had between the three of them. He'd have to somehow get on its back and break it open. It was something he couldn't find all that difficult, having been on the back of the giant wind monster a mere few minutes prior.

"Cover me," Squall said suddenly. Judging by the looks on Zell and Selphie's faces, he didn't need to elaborate.

The machine was already nearing them when he ducked down and charged forward, the blade barely scraping along the ground. He felt something encase around him – no doubt Selphie's doing – and did not stop until he was a few feet away. There, he dove forwards, rolling along the dirt-ground as the Black Widow passed over the top of him and pulled himself into a crouch, just as Selphie and Zell dodged in opposite directions. From the looks of it, the machine had tried to slam into them.

When the machine was a fair distance away, Squall charged back the way he came, weapon raised as he leapt into the air and impaled the blade into the back end of the Black Widow. It proved it was a machine because it did not respond to what would have ordinarily been a painful slash, but that didn't concern him as he alternated his grip on the gunblade's handle and guided the weapon down. It was difficult, and after a moment's struggle, he concentrated on fire, knowing that if he could get the blade hot enough, he would have an easier time cutting into the Black Widow. It worked. The gunblade cut through the Widow's armour like a hot knife through butter.

It must have realized that something was wrong. The machine suddenly pitched itself close to the ground before jumping up, which forced Squall flat on his stomach, his hands gripping the handle of the Revolver tightly. An instant later, he felt himself detach from the Black Widow's back, the only thing keeping him from flying askew was the grip on the handle. As it landed, Squall shifted so that his feet were under him once more and grounded himself against the metal armour, he withdrew the gunblade – the heat from the magic junctioning had made the split part; the ends of the metal curling in response. He was then unceremoniously tossed from the back of the Widow, landing roughly onto his side.

He hadn't broken anything – Quezacotl made perfectly sure of that – but all the same he rolled onto his back as he sensed more than saw the other two casting spells; the sky darkening once more as two bolts of lightning descended from it. This time the spell collided with the tear that Squall had created as the Widow was about to lunge at them. Instead, it made a sort of weak leaping motion as it was struck down its back before the pincer-like legs fell out from underneath it and it fell to the ground.

Squall pulled himself up onto his feet as quickly as he could. Obviously it wasn't quick enough because Selphie and Zell were suddenly at either side of him, forcing him back up by pulling at his arms. But when nothing happened, all three of them looked back to find that the machine was still inoperable.

"That's the last of it?" Selphie asked hopefully.

"Let's hope so," Squall said, shrugging the pair off of him and checking his watch; another six minutes was gone.

Wordlessly, he started at a run along the path that would lead them back to the ledge and Selphie and Zell followed.

* * *

As soon as they were away, the machine started to rise, stumbling forward as its legs fell out from underneath it. It continued its struggle while the wound along its back began to heal. The Galbadians had built it well, using the advanced nanoid technology that was still being classified as experimental. Injuries such as weapon slashes from sharp objects were of little concern to it. It's Artificial Intelligence program also insured that it never forgot its objective; its reason for being brought online.

As the nanoids continued to work on restoring its armour, the AI program realized that the reason for its inability to stand was due to the damage it had taken from the lightning strikes. The one with the sword was definitely dangerous, but the other two – no doubt spell casters – would be the first to be terminated.

The nanoids wasted no time in making the necessary repairs and finally the Widow was able to stand. Snapping its pincers together, it reminded itself of where its prey had gone, and looked for a way to intercept them quickly...

* * *

Selphie was grateful that they'd gotten out of that encounter alive, though even as they turned the corner along the side of the mountain, she kept looking behind her, thinking that it was still chasing them. Zell kept shooting her weird looks when she did this, but she didn't care. That thing was huge and intimidating.

They were just finished rounding the corner that would take them back to the ledge when she heard something like a miniature explosion nearby. She looked behind her again, and saw that nothing was following them.

Biting her lip, she continued running with the others and finally they reached the ledge she had met them what felt like decades ago.

Just as they were about to continue ahead however, the ground shook, nearly knocking their legs from underneath them. This time she wasn't alone in searching for the cause and when they all turned around, she backed away, well aware that her features had paled.

The spider machine was back, and it was trying to climb up that very cliff she'd jumped off of earlier.

"I thought we'd totalled that thing already?" Zell shouted in outrage, but it sounded like it was covering something else up. After a second she realized he was scared too.

Selphie sincerely hoped that they wouldn't have to fight that thing again. Just by looking at it she realized they were in trouble – the wound that Squall had made had closed up, almost like it'd been stitched up by some high-class doctor.

Squall seemed to read her mind because he said, "Forget it. Move!"

And they attempted to run around the Widow, hoping that it would be too preoccupied with climbing the mountain that with them. The machine was pretty quick. It jumped up onto the cliff side, shaking the ground a lot, and knocking them onto their knees. She heard a shout from nearby and saw Zell fall over the side of the mountain she had painstakingly climbed before. Without thinking, she reached out and grabbed his hand, but his weight was too much for her and she became overbalanced.

The next thing she knew they were falling – more like rolling – down the mountain side, attempting to cling onto the rocky ledges as they continued their descent. Selphie was aware that she was grunting and groaning as she fell, the sound of ripping fabric against the jagged rocks as her clothes caught all that she passed. The fall wasn't very long though. They landed onto another cliff's edge, and Zell grabbed her before she could roll off that one too.

Rising to her feet, she noted the scrapes and bruises she'd gotten from the fall, concentrating on the knowledge that she was at least still alive when she saw Zell bent down next to her. Squall had come down the same way as them, probably right after they'd fallen. He was sporting the same kind of scrapes and scratches she and Zell were. Even as Zell helped Squall up onto his feet, the three of them looked up, and saw the faint outline of the giant spider.

"It won't follow us down here," Zell said, sounding like he was trying to convince himself that this was true. "It _can't_. Not unless it wants to fuck itself up. Not even that armour could protect it from jumping and falling off a cliff."

Squall looked like he was about to say something, but no sound came out as they all took in what happened next in horror. The slowly, the spider began to _crawl_ down the side of the mountain, its pincer-like legs somehow supporting it in its vertical position.

"Move!" Squall suddenly shouted, indicating past the cliff they were currently standing on. "_Move_!"

Selphie and Zell wasted no time obeying him. While Zell ran over to the edge preparing to jump, Selphie concentrated on the feeling of flying once more before three feathered wings attached themselves to their shoulder blades. When he'd jumped into the air and stayed there, Zell looked like he was at a loss as to what to do, but Selphie knew; she'd had experience in Trabia Garden with this spell.

"Just guide yourself down!" She shouted to the other two. "Concentrate on the wings and make them work like a bird's!"

And she did just that. She could feel the breeze the wings attached to her shoulders give her control as she propelled herself down the mountain. She looked over her shoulder and noticed that the other two were following after her – they were pretty quick learners – and the spider machine was still on their tail.

They passed a number of ledges on the way down and Selphie wondered bleakly to herself why they couldn't have guided themselves down off the tower in the first place? It overlooked the beach and they would have been at the transport right now instead of being chased by some stupid Galbadian spider that was trying to kill them.

Finally Selphie saw the cobble-stone path that led from the bridge, which was a good thing because she could feel the wings begin to detach themselves from her shoulders. The diminutive cadet touched off onto the ground, but Squall and Zell – who were a little ways behind her – fell roughly a foot from the ground, Squall stumbling and Zell promptly falling flat on his face. Turning around, Selphie noticed the wings had disappeared, and looking up she saw the machine was still further away – actually she could barely make it out in the far distance.

"That saved a _lot_ of time," Zell said, grinning slightly. "Little unstable though. Probably a good thing we didn't attempt it from the tower."

"We might actually make it," Squall said, sounding slightly in awe. He seemed to shake himself of the sensation though, because the words he spoke next brook no arguing. "Let's not waste any more time."

* * *

It had only just begun climbing when it had witnessed the smaller of the targets utilizing the second level spell that would allow them to fly temporarily. It had been under the impression that they were youngsters unable to use such spells. Apparently the information that had been downloaded into its memory banks had been faulty. It needed updating.

It was common knowledge amongst humans that Galbadia's long-term enemies were SeeD, and from the many skirmishes they had had in the years since Garden's emergence, the youngsters who trained started off learning first level spells. It was rather unusual for someone of their level to know use second level spells.

Still, it did not matter. It would get them in the end.

As it continued to climb at its maximum speed down the side of the mountain, it made a mental note to terminate the smaller target before it took care of the other two. It would be a means of preventing an easy escape such as the float spells. Unlike people, it was unconcerned when it came to terms of special skills. If it had a job to do, it did it without fail.

According to the map that had been downloaded into its circuitry, it was almost at the base already. It could make out its targets, running across the bridge that would take it back into the town proper. It assured itself that they would not make it that far.

Bracing itself, it jumped the rest of the way down the mountain, bracing itself for the impact that would come. The crash that did ensue left an appraising sized crater, and it crawled out of it with little difficulty, making its charge towards the bridge where it would meet with them once more...

* * *

They had only just begun crossing the bridge when the ground shook again. This time, though, everyone managed to stay on their feet, though he did stumble a bit. Like himself, the others turned to look behind them as dread filled him; the spider was back. He didn't know how it was back – how it could still be functioning after that fall – but he knew he didn't want it catching them.

"_Run_!" Squall shouted and Zell was quick to do just that.

The three of them continued running side by side, Zell occasionally throwing a look behind him and seeing the spider speeding up behind them, almost ready to catch them. Beside him, Selphie cast another spell; the blue lights of a protect spell surrounding them like a blanket, but he didn't stop to say thanks, instead concentrating on running as fast as he could.

There was a slight jolt. Selphie suddenly stumbled and fell onto the ground, Zell stopped in order to help her back up, but when he looked behind him, he saw something strange – the machine was gone, like it had vanished into thin air.

"Dude!" Zell shouted to Squall, who was a few feet ahead of them. "It's _gone_!"

"Keep running!" Squall shouted back, and as he helped Selphie to her feet Zell complied. Unfortunately, moments after they started to, Squall looked overhead and stopped, almost causing Zell to run into him.

"_Back_!" Squall shouted as he started to back up. "Go _back_!"

"Dude, make up your..." Zell started but was cut off when he saw the reason for the gunblader's distress. The spider had jumped over their heads and was now blocking the only way back into town.

Cutting off his argument, Zell backed away from the machine, as did Squall and Selphie, the latter having removed the nunchaku from the strap behind her back. Then slowly the Widow was moving closer to them, even as they tried to move away from it as quickly as their legs could get them.

"No more..." Selphie whined in a defeated sounding voice, clutching the nunchaku tightly. "Please, no more..."

"There's no end to this," Squall muttered on his other side. He shook his head suddenly and withdrew his gunblade from its sheath.

Zell knew very well what the pair of them were thinking and he didn't like it one bit. He was hot, tired and sweaty from running all this way and he knew that outside of magic he was useless in this fight. Even _with_ junctions he wouldn't be able to make a dent in that thing if the fall from the mountain hadn't done a thing to it.

Still, if the others were willing to try, then so was he.

Dropping into a hasty crouch, he waited for a second before all three of them charged forward in an effort to stand their ground. Squall somehow got a ways ahead of them and Selphie stopped just outside the machine's leg's range, probably settling on long distance fighting. Zell wasn't sure exactly what he was planning to do – maybe try to cover Squall's flank in case something happened – but it was better to rush in than think about what the spider would do to them if they lost.

Squall tried to slash at the widow, but he was knocked aside by one of the pincers on the Widow's face. From the angle it looked like he had the wind knocked out of him, and the gunblader landed against the wall of the bridge, barely able to get back up. Zell expected the machine to finish him off, but a blast of energy began to collect around what could've been called its mouth, and after a moment, Zell realized that it was aiming for Selphie.

She seemed to realize this too, because she jumped forward just as the blast shot out, flying over her head as it hit the spot on the bridge she'd been standing moments ago. Landing on her stomach, she rolled as the machine tried again, but Zell didn't just stand there and watch. Instead, he jumped onto the back of the spider and, though he knew this wouldn't do much of anything, threw a fist at the spot where the monster's neck would've been. He heard the ping of metal and his hand lanced with pain, but he tried to focus all of his attention on the machine; punching and kicking at it in the hopes that he would get its attention off of Selphie and, potentially, Squall.

From what he could see, Selphie was trying to get to Squall – probably to see if he was alright – even as the gunblader was pulling himself, albeit slowly, onto his feet. And still, the machine paid no attention to him. It continuously blasted at the ground where Selphie was standing. Finally, it collected an insane amount of energy and made an arcing motion that sent a line of fire horizontally across them; the back-end of the explosion blasting Selphie up into the air. She looked like she'd been stunned by the attack and appeared so stunned that she didn't even seem to think about casting float on herself.

Speaking of the ground, Zell also noticed that the blast by the machine had totally decimated the bridge; the large chunk that had been filled with holes from the energy blasts crumbled down into the river below. If Selphie didn't act fast, there wasn't going to be anything for her land on!

Squall seemed to think this as well, because he charged forward, no doubt in an attempt to stop her going over the edge. Looking for a means of stopping the monster, Zell suddenly noticed something about the back of the spider. He could see fans behind a metal grilled plate that looked pretty vulnerable and knew that if he could aim a thunder spell at it, it could toast its circuitry.

At that very moment, he heard a startled shout. Selphie had managed to shake herself out of her shock and realized what was about to happen and he could feel the energy being collected at the front of the Widow's mouth. It was gonna finish her off in midair like that wind monster had wanted to do to him.

Concentrating as quickly as he possibly could, Zell grasped at the feeling of thunder and shot his palm out, watching as the sky grew darker around them. As he was never all that adept at casting magic, Zell pressed his palm on top of the metal grill as a desperate means of getting his aim all set. At that very instant, lightning cascaded from the darkened sky and descended upon the spider, hitting its grill, and electrocuting both it and Zell.

The brawler felt himself falling onto the ground, hitting his head hard on the pavement; he heard shouts from somewhere an instant before a loud ringing noise filled the air, and a large crash as something hard hit the ground beneath him. His vision blurred for a second, but he willed himself to stay awake. As he tried to raise his arm, he realized he couldn't move – the thunder spell must've paralyzed him.

"Over here," he tried saying, and the ringing in his ears prevented him from hearing his own voice.

As quickly as the sensation had taken hold of him, however, it went away, and he found he was able to pull himself up into a sitting position. He heard voices on the other side of the spider – it was down and didn't look like it was getting back up.

"I'm over here," he shouted.

"We heard you!" Squall's voice came loud and clear. The sounds of the battle had ended and there was a ringing silence that left a bad feeling in the pit of the brawler's stomach. "There's no way of crossing over. The spider's in the way."

"Climb over it!" Zell shouted.

"I don't _wanna_ climb that thing," Selphie whined and Zell realized Squall had caught her before she fell over the edge. "What if it gets back up?"

"Doubt that's gonna happen any time soon," Zell said, pulling himself to his feet.

"But..."

"Cast float if you're not convinced!"

Nothing happened and for a moment, he wondered what they could be doing over there, but after a second he saw Selphie's form fly up and over the giant spider-bot, touching the ground next to Zell, even as he caught sight of Squall climbing up onto the back of the creature. As he moved towards them, he started talking, loud and clear as day. "Anyone else notice in that fight that it was after Selphie."

"Kinda hard _not_ to notice," Selphie snorted, sounding indignant.

"You don't think it's an AI, do you?" Zell asked, that feeling of unease coming back.

Squall shrugged in response. "Maybe. That's the only explanation I can figure, since it went after _all_ of us when we first saw it."

Zell frowned thoughtfully, trying to remember the spider's actions and he realized Squall was right. It had been indiscriminate before. The way it had knocked Squall aside earlier definitely meant it had gotten some kind of priorities.

"Let's just get outta here," Selphie said, shuddering slightly. "The transport's not gonna wait for much longer."

"How much time do we have left?" Zell asked.

Squall went to check his watch but shifted suddenly, almost stumbling when he lost his footing. It took Zell a second to realize that the spider was starting to move again. He also noticed that the fans were beginning to spin again and the damage done to the metal grating was beginning to fix itself.

"Is it repairing itself?" Zell shouted in outrage. After all that damage he'd done to it, it was just going to repair itself and negate all his hard work.

Squall jumped off the machine and started to back away from it just as Selphie and Zell were doing. It made a lot of sense now. All that damage they'd done to it was being healed by some kind of mechanical function. Zell had heard about some kind of research being done about nanotechnology, but he hadn't thought the Galbadian's had advanced it nearly as far as this.

Still, he didn't think twice about it as he and the others ran away from the bridge – and the spider – through the alley that would take them back to the central square.

* * *

He wasn't taking any more chances and checked over his shoulder as they entered the Central Square – which appeared just as they had left it. The alley was far too narrow for it to just charge on through, but he wouldn't put it past the Widow to crawl along the walls of the buildings as it had done with the mountainside.

Despite the constant encounters with the spider tank, Squall knew they were making pretty good time. It would take them another fifteen minutes at most to get to the transport before it took off, and with any luck they would outrun the creature. Sure enough, the spider machine was moving along the side of the hotel before dropping onto the square, causing the ground to shake.

"Oh _no_!" Selphie shouted, and sure enough there was the golden retriever that had been stalking Seifer earlier on, seemingly frozen in its tracks. A moment later, Selphie cast a spell; a pair of wings attached themselves to the dog as they passed it by. The canine floated out of the way as the Black Widow chased after them.

They continued to run down the path, the spider still gaining on them. They passed what looked like a weapons shop, and a blue car parked just outside of it. Moments after they'd passed, they heard the sound of crushing metal – the spider's hydraulic limbs had crushed the automobile as if it were nothing but a toy.

Squall didn't know how, but Zell and Selphie had managed to get ahead of him – they were further down the street than he was, but it was all the better in Squall's mind. From the looks of it, Zell and Selphie had become the spider's targets, and as long as it couldn't reach them, then they would be alright.

He saw the two further down the road and the door to the cafe opening as he turned the corner – Squad C must have been inside waiting to ambush the Galbadians should they appear. Either way, the two of them emerged from inside, and were staring after the Zell and Selphie. They were probably wondering why they'd passed them by in such a hurry.

Looking behind, he realized he'd somehow gotten further ahead of the spider – Squall had a feeling the winding buildings had something to do with that, but as he got closer to Squad C, he heard the spider's mechanical footsteps following after him. There wasn't much time to waste, but the other squad needed warning. "Squad C, withdraw! Run to the beach."

"What'd'ya mean ru-" the first one started, but was suddenly pointing behind him. Turning around, Squall realized why. The spider had jumped up onto the bridge ahead and was leaping towards them as they spoke.

"Ah!" The other team member said, backing away slowly. "It's coming!"

"Squad C! Run for it!" The first boy shouted and both of them tore off down the street as fast as their legs could carry them. Judging by how far they were ahead, and how fast the spider moved, Squall didn't think either of them were going to make it.

So he did the only that came to mind. He didn't think it was going to work, but it was worth a try.

Concentrating solely on thunder, like he had at the top of the Communication's Tower, Squall willed the magical energies to form themselves into Quezacotl. It worked. The sky darkened more significantly and the thunder bird formed from nothing, striking the spider creature as it had the wind monster.

Squall didn't stick around to see the results. This was the diversion he was waiting for and he used the advantage and broke out into a full run towards the bridge leading to the beach below. He could only hope that he would make it in time.

* * *

Once the thunder bird had disappeared, the Black Widow shuddered mechanically. Somehow the lightning attack had managed to bypass the isolation its armour afforded it. It knew then and there it had made a mistake in attacking the other two. It was the one with the sword that was by far its biggest priority.

Even as the nanonites continued to repair the damages it had sustained, it charged down the street, to where it could see its target still running from it, even knowing that the bridge up ahead wasn't nearly wide enough for it to pass through without further damages...

* * *

She looked up at the sounds of yells and shouts, and saw four people running along the sand towards them. The last two diverged from the trek to her current position and headed straight towards the other remaining transport. Squad's A and D had already left to return to Balamb port, so they could only be from the remaining Squad C.

Seifer had been the first to arrive, seemingly laughing it up as though it had been some sort of race. Just thinking about it had made her so angry, knowing full well that he had abandoned his squad and the messager from Squad A, and back at the Communication's Tower (which was, as she recalled, not the Central Square they were _supposed _to be guarding). She had become so thoroughly disgusted by his lack of concern that she'd left him in the briefing room and stood out by the door, keeping an eye out for the three students. Never before had Seifer acted so irresponsibly and Quistis concluded that he had gone too far this time. He would pay for his reckless behaviour this time, for that it was certain.

He was just lucky the SeeD squads _beyond_ their position had managed to hold their own and that the remaining squads had ensured that the outer rim team had not recieved ambush.

Now she watched as Zell and the transfer student she'd been told about – the messenger from Squad A named Selphie – ran towards them. She'd already made arrangements with the instructor overseeing the first Squad that she would be responsible for the girl's return to the Garden, should she show up in time. But the looks on their faces caused a feeling of unease to fill her. Something had obviously gone very wrong.

"Get inside, quickly," Quistis snapped, even as she looked around for her lone missing cadet. Squall was nowhere to be seen. "We're cutting it close as is. Where's Squall?"

Zell and the girl paled considerably more than what they'd already been and both turned around, appearing to have expected the other cadet to have followed them. "He was right behind us, we swear!" Selphie said, appearing to be on the brink of tears as Zell nodded his head vigorously in agreement.

"You don't think it got him, do you?" Zell asked suddenly, directing his question towards Selphie.

"_What_ got him, Zell?" Quistis asked, but she hadn't needed to. The bridge beyond suddenly exploded in a hail of brick and debris as a creature she'd never seen before slipped down from the road above, landing with a quaking _thud _against the sand beneath it. From the glint of metal in the moonlight, she would have almost thought it to be mechanical.

"Oh _shit_..." Zell said as the girl clapped her hands over her mouth. Quistis had the sudden thought that he knew what was going on. "I thought we'd lost it."

"I _hate_ spiders!" the girl said, her voice muffled from between her hands. "And it doesn't even _look _like one!"

"Get inside, now!" Quistis barked, forcing the two to jump in unison, but she suddenly caught sight of something else over the debris once the dust from the sand had settled. Leaning forward, she used her own junctions to identify what exactly the thing could have been, as that horrible feeling of dread got greater as the force drew closer. She recognized it after a moment of scrutinizing.

It was Squall.

Almost instantly, her mind whirled into action and she stormed inside, calling for Zell and the girl to do the same. "Start the engines!" Quistis snapped at the technicians. "We're returning to Balamb!"

"We're not actually _leaving_ him with that _thing_, are we?" Selphie exclaimed in shock.

"What do_ you_ think?" Quistis snarled.

That shut the girl up and, without another glance at her, turned her attention towards the ladder that would lead to the observation deck. Steeling herself she gripped the metal sides tightly and began to climb.

* * *

He didn't remember much of the fall. He'd just barely managed to reach the end of the street when the ground shook, forcing him from the ledge and causing him to land onto his back. He'd been dazed for a moment, staring up at the sky and waiting for the stars to get out of the way so he could see properly.

However, just as he was pulling himself up onto his feet, the ground shifted again, dust flying up from the unsettling sand beneath his feet and he saw it. The very Black Widow that had been chasing them since the Communication's Tower had slid along the wall, broken bricks and metal support breaking apart by the machine's added and awkward weight.

Squall didn't stick around, knowing full well that the machine was capable of repairing itself. Instead, he ran straight for the shore, his sights trained on the transport that was waiting for his return. His legs and lungs were burning from the constant running, but he refused to let himself stop, stumble or fall.

Then he heard it. The mechanical whirling of the machine getting back up and continuing its pursuit. The ground shook as it took its lurching steps, bringing it closer and closer to him. He didn't look back – he didn't want to see just how close that thing was to him – even as the transport was steadily getting closer and closer. Zell and Selphie were at the entrance of the ship, shouting for him to run faster. Squall would have liked very much to tell them where they could cram those shouts.

As the sounds and the shaking grew steadily worse, Squall realized that it was catching up. In no time it'd be within striking distance. Without thinking, he did the only thing he could think to do and leapt for the transport that was steadily moving away from the beach and onto the water that would take it back to Balamb. It was a calculated risk, but as soon as he had done it, he realized it had been a mistake. Now he was prone and one good strike from the Black Widow's pincers would be more than enough to finish him off.

But then he heard it. Gunfire sounded from the top of the transport, and for a brief split second he caught sight of Instructor Trepe behind the turret that was fashioned on the observation deck. She was gripping the either side of the guard around it and blasting away at the Black Widow. Somehow he knew the machine was being pushed back and away, but he didn't dare look behind him as he collided with the floor of the transport, the collision knocking the wind out of him. The only thing that kept him conscious was the sudden feel of cold water against his legs. They were in the water.

Zell and Selphie both pulled him into the transport, and it was only then that Squall turned to see what had happened. The Black Widow's face was full of so many holes Squall was positive that whatever it was that healed the machine would have its work cut out for it. The Widow kept trying to reach out and attack the transport, raising its claw feebly as the instructor continued to empty canisters of ammunition into it.

Finally, it slumped against the sand, not stirring and an instantly later, it exploded, just as the door to the transport slammed shut, shielding the now-destroyed machine from the trio's view.


	10. Chapter IX: The Fruits of Our Labour

**Edited: **_01/27/09_

**Edited: **_05/23/10_

* * *

**Chapter IX:  
The Fruits of Our Labour**

* * *

The ride back to Balamb felt far longer than the trip to Dollet.

He was never truly sure why the passage of time worked like that, why travelling times felt so vastly different depending on the circumstances. He supposed it had something to do with adrenaline and apprehension. The more someone was dreading or anticipating something, the quicker time passed. When everything was calm, the time moved agonizingly slow.

The thought fit the circumstances. Now that the Field exam had ended, there was nothing else to do but wait until the vessel docked in Balamb and return to the Garden. It could've also been from the long sprint from the Communications tower to the beach. Squall couldn't help but reflect that it had been sheer luck they'd managed to make it back in time. He, in particular, had been especially fortunate that Instructor Trepe knew how to operate a Machine Turret. It was very likely that he wouldn't be sitting where he was contemplating the failure that was today if she hadn't acted as quickly as she had.

All in all, Squall was exhausted. Sitting against the wall on the floor, his head was angled up with his left arm covering his eyes. He didn't doubt that Selphie and Zell were in the same condition. Both were laying sprawled out across the benches opposite each other. The trio had retreated into the room Squad B had received their initial briefing, well away from everyone else. They were relatively still and silent, more than likely dosing to pass the time.

Right after they'd left the Lapin Beach (and the machine spider had been destroyed), it had been confirmed that Selphie's Squad had left without her moments before they'd arrived at the beach. Also, due to the events that had led to their rather hasty departure from Dollet, the trio had been forced to debrief while the events were still fresh in their mind. It hadn't been a fun experience for all parties involved and, judging by the array of expressions on the instructor's features, it didn't look as though they had done nearly as well during the exam as he had hoped.

Zell seemed to feel the same way, because his mood had soured once the Instructor had left without another word when they'd finished giving their report, lapsing into a sullen silence. Selphie had attempted to break up the tension but had eventually given up when no one would respond to her efforts to start up a conversation. More than likely, she was about as depressed at the prospect as they were.

_Guess there's always next year,_ he thought to himself bitterly.

The thought was strangely optimistic for his mindset, though there was no bright side reflected in the sentiment. He felt the complete opposite, disappointed that things had ended this way, and frustrated and angry at himself at the way he had handled himself. Years of work, from the moment he first started training up to the very rushed last-minute trip to the Fire Cavern, blown away in a day.

Unfortunately, he knew that dwelling on the situation wouldn't change it. There was nothing he could do about what had happened and no matter how hard he thought about it, there was little point in dwelling on what he could have done differently. There was no way he could possibly change the dreaded outcome of the exam, looming ever closer as the time passed by at a snail's crawl.

Dropping his hand from over his eyes, he turned his attention towards the gunblade, resting at his feet within arm's reach. Grabbing it, he inspected the weapon, flipping it over in his hands as he examined the blade for imperfections. He paused in his ministrations as he caught sight of his reflection and scowled into it, realizing that nothing was going as he'd wanted it to. He'd been so sure that he'd had it all figured out, that he had been doing so well throughout the exam. But things had changed the moment Seifer had ordered them away from their post. He couldn't even blame the elder gunblader because he had gone along with it. He was just as guilty for shirking their responsibilities, regardless that it had been the squad leader's orders.

It didn't stop him from resenting him though. He didn't know where Seifer was at the moment, but it was most definitely a saving grace. He had no idea what he would have done if Seifer had been present.

Silence accompanied them along the trip back to Balamb Town. No one made so much as a sound or indicated any desire to speak to one another and given the circumstances it was understandable. Squall had no idea how the Dollet Forces were fairing now that the cadets had been sent away, but at that point in time he really didn't care. All he wanted to do right now was curl up in bed and pretend that the whole affair hadn't taken place.

When they finally docked at Balamb Harbour, Squall, Selphie and Zell trudged out silently, waiting for their instructor to follow suit. After about a minute of waiting, Seifer emerged from the vessel, acting as if he hadn't done anything wrong and Selphie seemed to prepare herself, taking a tentative step towards Zell. Squall assumed it was in preparation to bar Zell's path should he think to try anything. The look on the brawler's face was bordering mutinous, and if there was no intervention chances were an altercation would ensue and the last thing they needed was to pick a fight in front of the instructor.

Honestly, Squall wasn't so sure he would have even bothered. In fact, judging by his current mood, he was more inclined to believe he would have joined in.

Surprisingly though, there were two people waiting on the dock that Squall knew he should have expected to see, despite the late hour. Fujin and Raijin were standing near the stairs that led back into town, no doubt waiting for the final member of the Disciplinary Committee to return. Squall wasn't surprised that they were breaking curfew as Seifer seemed to believe the Committee to be above the rules and his cohorts had adopted a similar outlook.

Fujin ran forward to meet the cadet halfway while Raijin approached at a slower pace. "How'd it go?" The dark skinned male asked first once the greetings were out of the way.

Seifer snorted loudly. "Pretty annoying, actually. Definitely not at all like the _last_ exam. At least I had some _competent_ team members back then."

The elder cadet inclined his head back, no doubt indicating the trio who stood behind him. "Then again," he sighed dramatically, "that's the price of being a leader, I guess. Someone's gotta be able to bring the team together and make it work out in the end, even if everyone else is pretty much useless."

As if on cue, Zell leapt forward and Selphie jumped in front of him, pushing against his chest in an attempt to keep him from attacking the elder boy. Squall, after some consideration, put in a half-hearted effort in stopping the brawler. It was only because he realized that Zell would hurt himself if left to his own devices and he didn't want to have to hear the complaints that would no doubt follow the scuffle.

"Other than that," Seifer said as he shrugged, seemingly oblivious to what was going on behind him. "Uneventful. I was bored during most of it."

"SAFE?" Fujin inquired in the strange way she spoke. Seifer nodded in response.

"C'mon, let's get the hell outta here," Seifer commented casually and all three of them left the dock, despite the fact that Seifer was supposed to wait for Instructor Trepe to do a head count.

"If he makes SeeD," Zell said from under his breath. He'd stopped trying to bowl Selphie over in an attempt to attack the Squad leader and was scowling at the departing teenager's back. "I'll eat my own foot."

Though the Field exam had proven to be a disaster, there was at least one consolation. Because of his actions, Seifer had undoubtedly failed and would not be inaugurated into SeeD. It made Squall feel a little better about the situation. But only a little.

It was only after Seifer was out of eyeshot that Instructor Trepe emerged from the transport, head held high despite everything. "Good job," she commented.

Zell snorted in response and Squall had to agree with him. _She'd_ been the one to kill the machine in the end. What exactly was she complimenting them for? Surviving?

As she made towards them, she smiled at the trio good naturedly before the expression was wiped from her features and a frown replaced it. Squall had a feeling he knew the reason behind the change and was unsurprised when she asked in an exasperated tone, "Where's Seifer? I _know _I saw him leave the transport."

"He and those other two people left the dock," Selphie answered, "right before you climbed out of the transport."

The instructor sighed, shaking her head and shrugging at the same time. "Why do I even bother with him sometimes?"

There was a moment of awkward silence between them before Zell broke it tentatively. "So..." he started, and from the sounds of it, he was trying not to come across as being rude towards the instructor. "What do we do now?"

"Return to the Garden," Instructor Trepe answered through another sigh. "Take the Garden car without me. The instructors are all riding back together to pool our results. The guard at the front gate has been informed of the late arrivals, so you'll be permitted inside without reprimand when you arrive. The drive shouldn't take any longer than thirty minutes. You're dismissed."

All three SeeD Candidates saluted the instructor before she left in order to catch up to the two instructors who had passed them as she'd spoken. When she was gone, Selphie turned to Zell and Squall good naturedly, her hands behind her back. "Since I can't see the rest of _my_ Squad, I guess that means I'm coming with you guys."

"That's cool," Zell commented. "With Instructor Trepe catching a ride, there'll be an extra seat."

"Woo-Hoo!" Selphie cheered. She didn't jump in the air like she had the previous times she'd made the shout, probably because she was too exhausted. "It would've sucked _big time_ to have to walk all that way…"

But when they reached the top of the stairs leading up from the dock, they stopped as they saw a green and yellow car driving towards them, as it passed them by, Squall almost cursed aloud as he recognized the driver. Raijin was behind the wheel and Fujin and Seifer were sitting up front with him. Seifer had apparently rolled down the window as they approached because Squall could hear him clearly as he shouted out at them, "Have fun walking, suckers!"

Selphie's jaw dropped in stunned awe and Zell's face turned a violent shade of red in his anger. Even Squall was clenching and unclenching his fists as the Garden car sped away, leaving a short trail of gas in its wake as it left them behind. In the span of one day, he had been ditched twice and it was fast becoming a trend that he disliked immensely.

"What is _wrong_ with that guy?" Selphie asked, stomping her foot in irritation. Up until that point, she'd given Seifer the benefit of the doubt, though Squall wouldn't have been surprised if that ship had sailed.

"Like I said before, his ego," Zell deadpanned, scowling at the departing car. "Some Disciplinary Committee _they_ are."

Squall gathered that Zell had said that for Selphie's benefit. The pair knew exactly what Seifer was like and, at times, what he was capable of. Unfortunately, it was very unlikely that it would change even in the distant future.

There was a moment of silence as the trio just stood at the top of the stairs leading to the harbour, almost in a stupor at what had just happened to them.

After a short while, Zell broke that silence. "I'm not looking forward to walking."

"I'm not walking, _period._" Selphie said in a no-nonsense kind of tone. As she spoke, she crossed her arms in front of her, forming an 'x' as if to cement the declaration. "It's almost midnight. By the time we get there, the Front Gate'll be locked, and my feet are killing me as it is. I think we deserve a rest after being chased all over Dollet, thank you very much!"

"There's always the hotel," Squall suggested with a shrug. "We can stay there for the night, contact Garden so they don't miss us, and head out in the morning. Unless someone has enough to rent a car..."

Judging by the looks on Zell and Selphie's faces, neither one of them, like him, had thought to bring that kind of money with them. With that in mind, they headed across the dock and up the stairs leading back into town.

Even at night, Balamb town was simple looking. The only thing it had over other larger and more populated cities was that you could still see the sky as clear as if you were camping. No one was awake at this hour of the night and Squall was hoping that someone was at least working at the hotel, or else they were out of luck. Because Balamb was a fishing town, most of the working men got out of their beds near the crack of dawn in order to start their day. Likewise, they tended to settle in early for that very reason.

Fortunately, the Balamb Hotel was close by. The hotel was a large blue and white circular building with balconies along the second floor, bronzy coloured gates that opened up into the building and the national flag of Balamb hanging over it; red and white with a Balambi symbol etched in the middle.

Entering the hotel, it was discovered that the interior was even roomier than looking at it from the outside. At the furthest point opposite from the door was a desk that was decorated the same way the walls were painted and to the right was a veranda where the patrons sat and lounged during the day. Because of the time of night, that section was cordoned off. On the far left hand side was a set of stairs that curved as they led to the second floor.

As they approached the front desk, Squall saw that the receptionist was reading a magazine. He wasn't too surprised by this discovery. It was pretty late and not many people actually came to the hotel at this time of night. It took a moment for her to realize she was being watched, and she looked over the magazine before giving a start when she saw all three students waiting on her. Tossing the magazine somewhere unseen, she leaned forward, smiling sheepishly. Zell smiled back before saying, "Slow night?"

The receptionist nodded. "Don't get too many patrons around this time, but we stay open just in case. So a room for…" her eyes trailed along Squall and Selphie before falling onto Zell. "Wait a minute; Zell, you live around here, don't you?"

Selphie turned to look at Zell, but the brawler was still grinning. "Yeah, but Ma's probably asleep right now, and I don't wanna wake her."

"Ah, I see, that's very thoughtful of you," the receptionist said. Zell raised his hand to scratch the back of his head in embarrassment. It was a habit the brawler had and would present itself whenever he received praise from an adult. "So a room for three then?"

Everyone nodded in response. It only took a few moments for her to register them as guests, receive payment and hand over the key before directing them up the stairs. Squall noticed that the instant they were out of her line of view, the woman grabbed her magazine and went back to reading.

The room they paid for was fairly small with three single sized beds positioned along the same wall, each with a nightstand separating them and thus allowing for some room to walk. Each had a comforter the same colours as the building (blue and white). There was a small balcony along the furthest point of the room. From the cadet's brief inspection, he could tell it had a nice view of the beach. There was also a small table at the far right hand corner with magazines. It was the only source of entertainment the room had to offer, seeing as how there was no television in sight, and thus it was assumed that there was no cable.

But that was alright in his mind, since they weren't exactly going to need it in the first place.

As soon as they entered, Squall picked up the phone on the night stand closest to the door and started dialling, knowing that he was probably going to get an answering machine. Sure enough he was right. Squall assumed everyone was either in a meeting or asleep, and when he was prompted to do so, he left a message explaining the situation before hanging up.

"I think I'm gonna take a shower," Selphie said as she removed her jacket – revealing a white tank top underneath. She sniffed her armpits once before shuddering. "Anyone else need one?"

"I think I can wait till we get back to Garden," Zell said. Squall didn't comment.

"Suit yourself," Selphie shrugged before entering an adjacent bathroom and closing the door behind her.

"How early should we set out?" Zell asked, removing his own jacket to reveal a white t-shirt as he sat down on the bed closest to the balcony. "I know Garden's curfew ends around 6, but you gotta remember, it's a three hour trek from here."

Squall frowned, knowing that he was right. After the day's events, he figured it was too much to ask for them all to be awake by around four in the morning to make it back around daybreak. What they all needed was a good night's rest. "As soon as we're able," Squall eluded, keeping it vague.

"Thought you'd say something like that," Zell said, tossing his jacket onto the table and bending down in order to take his shoes off.

A moment later, they heard the faint sound of water running and Zell shot up ramrod straight.

"What?" Squall asked as he prepared to settle in.

"Dude, I just realized." Zell said, his face going red. "Selphie's a _girl_."

"No kidding?" Squall deadpanned.

"And she's a _girl_ taking a _shower_ in the next room."

Squall rolled his eyes. "What are you, thirteen? Grow up."

"You can_not _be serious," Zell said, staring at him incredulously even as Squall directed his gaze to the ceiling above. "You _seriously_ don't care?"

"Didn't I just say that?"

Zell continued to stare for a few minutes before shaking his head. Squall figured he'd let the conversation drop, until the brawler started talking again. "Dude… are you gay?"

Squall turned to glare at him. "And what does that have to do with anything?"

"You're completely oblivious when it comes to girls," Zell said, looking defensive. "Especially girls _in the shower_. Not that there's a problem with liking guys in _that _way or anything..."

After a moment of tense silence, Zell suddenly slapped himself in the forehead. "Oh, I'm an idiot."

_Just figuring that out now?_

"'Course you're not gay," Zell continued and Squall's eyes narrowed slightly. "You were wondering about some girl in the infirmary." The brawler grinned slightly before adding, "Was she cute?"

"Zell…" Squall started, but Zell cut him off.

"No wait… I bet she was _hot_. She'd have to be to get _your _attention."

"Drop it."

Zell swung his legs over the side of his bed for a moment, an awestruck look on his face. "Oh my god, she _was_ hot."

"Zell Dincht, I _will_ smother you with this pillow," Squall grabbed the pillow he had been resting his head against and held it out in emphasis, "if you don't _shut up right now_."

"Okay, okay, I get it," Zell said, holding his hands up in defence. "You don't kiss and tell."

The next thing Zell knew, the pillow hit him square in the face.

* * *

Even though they didn't set out until quarter to seven, Squall had found himself awake at around five, plagued by dreams he couldn't account for properly. He assumed the events in Dollet were still too fresh in his mind for them to be laid to rest and wondered if this was what it felt like to take lives. He knew it had been in defence of his own, but it didn't keep the sick feeling in his stomach at bay. The feeling wasn't so much directed at the act as it was at the fact that the killings were bothering him less and less. The people he'd killed the previous day had probably had families and friends, people who would feel their loss despite the circumstances of their deaths.

Seifer had been right when he'd told them they would eventually become desensitized to the violence, though he hadn't mentioned how alarmingly quick the change would be. Regardless, it didn't mean he had to like it and it was a struggle to focus his thoughts elsewhere.

As important as it was to return to the Garden as soon as possible, Squall couldn't find it in himself to wake the other two. The only real concern he had was getting there in time for the results of the Field Exam (because having to _wait_ to learn that you'd failed was far worse torture than actually knowing it), so he supposed there really wasn't _that_ big of a rush to get back. So he had left them to their sleep and stepped out to replenish the supplies he'd used up during the exam. When he'd stocked up on enough potions, antidotes and other supplies he figured they would need, he'd returned to the hotel and had admired the view from the balcony while waiting for the others to wake up on their own.

The three hour travel was uneventful. They didn't stray from the road that would lead them to the Garden, since monsters very rarely ever wandered out onto the open path. Still, each of the cadets kept their guard up in the unlikely event they encountered a monster.

But monsters weren't the only thing they passed along their way. While the ride in the Garden car had been quick, their walk allowed them to properly take in the surrounding farms in the area. Having started at the crack of dawn like the fishermen, they were well along their work day. From the distance, Squall could hear the call of cattle, and the hum of tractors as the farmers ploughed between their crops to gather their means of supporting themselves. Selphie had wanted to go over and check things out, but being on a tight schedule – because they wanted to get back to Garden as soon as humanly possible – she was overruled and they journeyed on.

Because of the early hour and the possibility of monster sightings and by the time they finally arrived at the Front Gate, it was already ten in the morning.

"We made it," Zell said in a tone that clearly said he hadn't expected them to.

"Finally," Selphie said, pulling one of her legs under her and stretching her feet. Squall assumed they were hurting, since his were as well.

When she was done checking her feet, all three of them made their way to the turnstiles that would lead them inside. The guard waved them on, and the next thing Squall knew they were walking up the stairs and through the hall leading up to the directory.

"Guess all that's left for us to do now is to wait for the results," Zell said, making an attempt at a smile, but having it come out as a grimace instead. "They wouldn't have announced it last night since people were coming in after midnight. I know _I'd _be pissed if they did while I was trying to sleep."

He seemed to have said that more to reassure himself that he hadn't already missed the results rather than any real comment to the others. Still, Selphie grinned nervously. "So until we meet up again, I guess we'll see each other around."

"Guess so," Squall commented, though he wouldn't have been surprised if it was a long time before they ever met up again.

"Later," Zell said, wandering off in the direction of the infirmary. Squall supposed the brawler was heading to the cafeteria before showering.

"Bye," Selphie waved, going in the same direction.

At that moment, Squall decided that a trend was starting and opted to go in the other direction in order to avoid any awkwardness. He had gotten as far as the library though when he suddenly heard someone call his name. The voice was familiar and for a second, Squall hoped that if he didn't acknowledge the speaker, they would leave him alone.

Unfortunately that wasn't the case. A moment later, he heard footfalls and felt someone's hand grab onto his shoulder, forcing him to turn around. Squall wasn't surprised to see Seifer, who looked like he was at the end of his patience, but he didn't exactly care.

"Did you hear about the Communications Tower in Dollet?" Seifer asked. The tone of his voice indicated that whatever he had to say was not good news.

Despite this tone however, Squall couldn't have cared less about what Seifer had to say and thus glared at him as he answered, "I haven't heard much of _anything_, since I only just got here after walking _three_ hours from town."

Seifer either hadn't heard the last bit, or was acting like he hadn't. Either way, Squall's eyes narrowed as the elder cadet spoke. "The SeeDs who were stationed in Dollet after we'd left came back early this morning."

Squall frowned thoughtfully. While the students who lived in the dorms were were restricted to following the rules of the curfew, SeeD members were permitted to come and go at their own convenience because of the irregularity of the missions they undertook. That in itself wasn't irregular, but it did seem odd that the mission in Dollet had been wrapped up so soon after the cadets were forced to withdraw.

Still, the absolute last thing he wanted to do was talk to Seifer at the moment, but when he made to move past him, the elder boy got in the way. Scowling, Squall resigned himself to his fate and irritably listened to what he had to tell him. "From what I heard, Dollet and Galbadia came to an agreement. Galbadia's supposed to withdraw if Dollet keeps the Tower's uplink operational."

Squall hadn't thought that the Galbadians would've attacked the Dukedom just to have a satellite dish repaired, and realized how odd it had seemed to see the Major working on the piece of equipment he had when they'd encountered him at the Communications Tower. It didn't make any sense at all, since in order to use the dish they needed radio waves to transmit from. Radio signals had been rendered useless nearly twenty years ago when an unexplained Global signal interference cropped up out of nowhere near the end of the Second Sorceress War. Because of this, everyone in the world switched to use HD frequencies to communicate online between countries, or resorted to using Chocobos as messengers. It left some places in the world entirely without a method of communicating with the rest of the world. Those places were reduced to being backwater villages and were left to their own devices.

"Think about it," Seifer said suddenly, as though he thought Squall was missing the big picture. "The cease fire was made _after _we found the tower, and _after_ we were forced to withdraw from Dollet."

"So it means the Galbadians didn't count on anyone finding out their objective in Dollet," Squall said, catching on to what Seifer was saying.

Or at least he thought he had. Seifer gave him an irritated look at his response. "It _means _that if we'd stayed even a little while longer, we coulda been _heroes_! The SeeDs _and_ the Dukedom are taking credit for _our_ discovery, and the Galbadians are walkin' away with just a slap on the wrist." He snorted his indignation and Squall resisted the urge to roll his eyes as the elder boy continued. "That's what I hate about those Hyne-damned stupid withdraw orders. They're always issued at a critical moment. They're the biggest fucking killjoy."

"You didn't care about Dollet's state of mind or anyone else's wellbeing for that matter."

Squall turned around and caught sight of both Instructor Trepe and Lieutenant Xu approaching them from the direction of the Training Center. It looked as though they'd overheard what Seifer was saying and, judging by the looks on their faces, they were even less impressed with the blonde cadet than Squall was. "All you were doing was looking for a fight, which is why you abandoned your position."

Something told Squall that this conversation had been long overdue. They couldn't have possibly said anything when they'd returned since a decision had to have been made immediately upon the exams completion. All the same, Squall had no intention of being a part of it and wisely stepped back right as the Lieutenant and instructor had reached the pair.

Instead of looking put off for having had his conversation interrupted however, Seifer fixed a tight grin that didn't reach his eyes across his face as he regarded the instructor. "I'm hurt," he said, forcing a wounded expression upon his features. "Those are some rather cruel words for an aspiring student like me."

The Lieutenant rolled her eyes at the comment and Instructor Trepe continued to glare at Seifer. The wounded expression wiped itself from his features and was replaced by a hard look. "But then again, a mediocre instructor like you could never even begin to understand someone of my complex intellect. Guess that's why you'll always be the one stuck in the classroom, and that's _if _you last long enough as an educator."

The instructor looked shocked by the barb and even Squall couldn't help but be put off slightly from it. Seifer had said a lot of bold things to other people but he'd never come right out as to insult someone directly. It was usually a veiled insult at best. For him to come right out and say those things was like a slap to the face for the blonde SeeD and she was left speechless, opening her mouth and shutting it in her failure to come up with a rebuttal in her defence.

The Lieutenant's expression darkened however and she took a step forward, saying what the instructor apparently couldn't. "You know what you're problem is, Seifer? You're too stuck on yourself. It's a rather infuriating habit that you've gotten quite used to flaunting."

"Can't help that everything revolves around me," Seifer shot back.

"Funny you should say that," the dark haired SeeD continued, "since you'll be taking _all _the responsibility of leaving your post."

Seifer's expression dropped a notch, the tight grin he'd worn when the Lieutenant and instructor had initially arrived was wiped off his face and replaced with his shock at the conclusion. The Lieutenant took advantage of his momentary speechlessness and pressed on. "The SeeD members beyond the Central Square could've easily been ambushed because of _your_ reckless stunt should they have gotten past the first two Squads."

It took a moment for the arrogant cadet to regain his composure and when he did, Squall took note of how his eyes narrowed in response to the verbal reprimand. "If the Galbadian soldiers had gotten past the two squads, then those greenlings shouldn't have even been in the field to begin with," he pointed out. "And furthermore, you're _SeeD. _Great mercenaries. Surely, you would be able to deal with a few pesky soldiers who get behind you."

"_No one_ is invincible, Seifer, least of all you," Lieutenant Xu remarked coldly. "And in any case, you will also be reprimanded for leaving your team behind at the Communications Tower," she gestured towards Squall who had, up until that very moment, thought he'd been forgotten during the conversation. "That machine could have _killed _them if it hadn't been for Instructor Trepe's interference!"

Knowing that he could have very easily left the trio to their own devices and continued on to the dormitories minding his own business, he couldn't quite help but stay rooted to the spot, transfixed by the trainwreck that was the argument that was progressively increasing in volume. Instructor Trepe appeared to feel the same way and, when she caught his eye she simply shrugged while the Lieutenant and Seifer continued their exchange.

"Well last I'd gathered, that soldier was planning on sicking that thing on the Dollet soldiers," Seifer shrugged almost carelessly. "If anything, we _saved _those soldiers from being hunted by that thing when the soldier changed his mind and sicked it on us instead. Too bad I was just too far ahead for it to catch me."

"Last _I_ figured," the Lieutenant pressed on, "if you had simply stayed at the designated area _in the first place, _none of you would have been targeted at all."

"And again, the Dollet forces would've been decimated," Seifer argued again. "And if we had stayed at the Central Square, we wouldn't have discovered the Communications Tower. We wouldn't have figured out that the satellite dish was what they were _really _after, and you wouldn't have taken the credit for it."

Almost as an afterthought, Seifer's expression twisted into an apologetic one that Squall could tell was for performance sake only. "Oops, did I say that aloud?"

"Say whatever you want," Lieutenant Xu said, almost seething. "It's not going to change the fact that you'll be facing disciplinary charges for abandoning your post and your team because you were itching for a fight."

"Now that's uncalled for," Seifer remarked. "I wasn't _looking _for a fight, it _came _looking for me. We saw those soldiers bypass the Central Square..."

"Which you were supposed to be defending," the Lieutenant interjected.

But Squall had barely heard her since Seifer had raised his voice so he was speaking over her. "...And acted accordingly by following them, discovering their true intent in the process. If we'd stayed where we were, we wouldn't be having this conversation since _you'd _still be in Dollet fighting a never ending battle that would've been pointless in the end. And anyways, the Commander isn't supposed to just follow orders blindly. It's the job of the Commander to take the best possible action, which is what I did."

It looked as though Selphie's title had stuck with Seifer and Squall restrained himself enough that he didn't groan aloud. It was going to make him all the more insufferable, of that he was sure of. The Lieutenant seemed surprised by his declaration of title because she stared at him in shocked wonderment before folding back into an emotionless mask. He didn't like the look of this and was even more unsettled when she smirked darkly at the cadet. "Seifer," she said sweetly before dropping all pretences, her voice going hard. "You'll _never _become a SeeD. Not in this lifetime and most likely not in the next. The fact that you call yourself a Commander of all things is a complete and utter joke, and a pretty terrible one at that. I can't even muster the sense to fake a laugh."

Seifer seemed thunderstruck and his expression slackened by the blow, revealing his shock. A second later, his face settled into a furious expression, but the look in his eyes told more than his features did. The words had actually put him in his place. Having won the battle of razor sharp tongues, the Lieutenant turned her back on him and simply walked away, having made her point.

Instead of following her lead, however, Instructor Trepe appeared torn between following after the Lieutenant and saying something to Seifer. Squall couldn't possibly think of anything else that could be said, but he was saved the trouble of finding out when the Headmaster came from around the corner – probably having taken the elevator down – and a nearby Garden Faculty emerged from the library as though to investigate the commotion.

For a second, Squall thought the Headmaster wanted to speak to Seifer, but instead, he looked straight passed the two students and at the instructor, who started when he began to speak to her. "Instructor Trepe, please meet me in my office. There's something I wish to discuss with you."

The instructor looked startled for a moment but nodded in response and made her way down the hall. With his business concluded, Squall assumed he would leave the area. He was proven wrong, however, when the elder man stuck around and turned his attention towards Seifer.

"You will be disciplined for your irresponsible behaviour, Seifer," Headmaster Kramer said, and his tone betrayed his disappointed. Seifer's features hardened, probably at being told something he already knew, but he held his tongue surprisingly. "You know better than this. You are to follow orders _exactly_ in combat. There are rules in place for a reason."

For his credit, Seifer didn't say a thing. Squall wondered if the Lieutenant's words had had that big of an impact on him.

Still the Headmaster's features weren't as stony as Xu's had been. In fact, he appeared almost fatherly as he spoke. "Though I am not entirely without sympathy for you. While SeeD must follow orders, I don't expect them to be machines. I want you to be able to think for yourselves. To assess the situation as you believe it should be assessed. I am…"

"Uh sir," the Garden Faculty interrupted. "I believe you still have some business to attend to."

"I'm almost done," the Headmaster assured, but the moment he went to continue with what he was saying, he was interrupted once again.

"Not only do you have that _important_ meeting to attend," the Garden Faculty stressed, "but I believe it would be rude to keep Instructor Trepe waiting."

The Headmaster threw a disgusted look at the Faculty member, almost as though they shared a secret that he wished to get out, and turned his attention back to Seifer. "There is just so much at stake here."

And with that, he followed Instructor Trepe down the hall and back to the elevator. After a moment, the Faculty member turned to regard both Seifer and Squall, the tone of voice was threatening. "SeeD is not to act beyond the exact wording of the contract. We are not a non-profit organization, and the Dollet Dukedom will do well to learn this. Maybe next time they will be more generous when hiring SeeD."

And he stalked off without another word, returning to the library.

Squall gave Seifer one last fleeting look before starting off towards the dormitory once again, only the PA system sounded, signalling that an announcement was to be made.

_Attention. All those who participated in yesterday's Field Exam are to report to the Second Floor Hallway. I repeat…_

Squall groaned audibly. All he really wanted to do was to get back to his dorm and take a shower, but apparently the Garden had other ideas. Maybe he should have taken the time to do just that when he'd been in Balamb, but it had felt like a waste before the return trip.

So begrudgingly, he turned around and followed the same path the Headmaster had taken a moment go, heading to the elevator. He noticed almost fleetingly that Seifer remained rooted to the spot just outside the library.

* * *

Having witnessed the Headmaster head back the way he'd come, Squall instead took the elevator in the hall between the library and the garage. When he reached the second floor hallway, he found it filled with all the students who had participated and their friends, making the area more crowded than what he had expect. Again, Seifer was the only one who hadn't made an appearance, but knowing where he'd left the cadet, he wasn't too surprised by this. However, Fujin and Raijin were standing at either end of the opening leading to the elevator. Fujin looked resolute and Raijin looked anxious.

"RAGE…" Fujin snapped as soon as Squall had walked past her.

He stared at her for a moment, wondering what he'd done this time when he heard someone signalling to him. He turned to see Raijin waving him over. When he moved closer, Raijin stopped his waving and lowered his voice – a welcome change since he was so loud. "Fujin was saying that it'd be all your fault if Seifer fails. She can be really scary, ya know."

Fujin fixed Raijin with a withering glare, as though castigating him for 'fraternising with the enemy'. Raijin winced visibly and didn't say another word.

"Yo," he heard another familiar voice and, when he turned, he saw that Zell was pacing up and down the hallway. He looked even less thrilled than Squall. It was a sign that he had been standing in line when the announcement had come on. "No sign of the Garden Faculty yet. Think they want us to wait here for them."

Squall frowned, having not expected this but resigned himself to even more waiting. He looked past Zell and caught sight of Selphie sitting on the floor with her back against the wall. She caught sight of him and waved enthusiastically, apparently signalling him to move on over. At first he refused but when she was beginning to draw too much attention, he sighed and walked on over, but refused to sit down.

Selphie didn't appear to mind, and simply smiled up at him. "Glad we got back in time," Selphie said. "I barely set foot in my room and the announcement came on. I think I saw Zell running for the elevator when I came into the hall."

The girl played with her fingers for a moment before saying something else. "You didn't tell me that the Garden Festival was in jeopardy."

Squall regarded her for a moment and she looked up at him again. "When you showed me the directory; I started talking about the Garden Festival, but you didn't say anything about the lack of members. I got curious about it, so I did some checking out and found out that the former Committee Chair left to pursue other interests." She smiled brightly again. "Guess that makes me the Committee chair. Which is cool. I worked on the Festival Committee at Trabia, so I do have some experience and even a few ideas, but I need people for the whole thing to work. That's my first priority, and since I probably failed the exam, that means I'll have plenty of time to work on it."

Her grin widened and Squall immediately guessed what she was going to say next. "I was kinda hoping that you and Zell could help me out, since you two are really the only people I know here."

He was saved from having to answer. There were a few gasping noises and Squall looked over to see that Zell had frozen in mid stride. He moved over towards the exit in order to see what the cause was and, sure enough, a member of the Garden Faculty emerged, wearing the same yellow hat and red and white robes, but in one arm was a clipboard.

Squall could feel the stirrings of nerves building in his stomach but he willed them back. Normally, there were at least thirty candidates who participated in the exam, and only four or five of them passed. With only eleven people in total participating, they would be lucky to have even one of them got to join SeeD. Squall was fairly certain that they wouldn't have called them all up just to tell them that they all failed, but he wouldn't put it past them.

Silence hung in the air. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Selphie stand up, but not move from her post against the wall. Judging from the looks on everyone else's faces, they had come to the same conclusion. One of them, maybe two if they were lucky, had any chance of passing.

The Garden Faculty took his time pulling his clipboard to his face, cleared his throat and said the first name, "Tilmitt, Selphie Tilmitt of Squad A."

Selphie's head shot up – she'd gone back to playing with her fingers – and everyone was staring at her in surprise. She'd not only past the exam, but she was the only girl to have participated at all this time, let alone the knowledge that she was the only transfer student of that year. Out of everyone who had participated, her name had most definitely not been one of the ones expected to be called first. Everyone else was surprised, but not nearly as much as she was.

After a moment of just standing there, working her mouth open and closed in shock like a fish, she jumped away from the wall, not looking at either Zell or Squall – who exchanged glances between one another - and moved passed the Faculty, presumably heading to the elevator.

The Faculty member said nothing for a moment; Squall was waiting for the inevitable 'that is all' that was to come. But instead, the Faculty just stood where he was, clipboard in hand and waiting for a noise that was nonexistent to settle. A moment later, he surprised everyone else with what he said next, "Kent, Nida Kent of Squad C."

Everyone looked around, wondering who this guy was. Everyone except for one person. A dark haired boy was standing at the farthest end of the hallway, almost out of sight of everyone else. Nida blinked stupidly, almost like he'd thought he'd misheard them, but after a moment it seemed to sink in. As stoically as he could, Nida made his way down the hall, with all eyes staring at him as whispers followed after him, and moved past the Faculty, following Selphie down the hall.

This time, the hall was filled with animated chatter. Two out of eleven participants had passed. It was the highest passing rate that the Garden had had in a very long time. This time, the Faculty had an actual excuse to wait for the noise to die down, and after a few moments, he cleared his throat audibly. The noise died down in anticipation to what he had to say.

Squall didn't think he was ready for any more surprises, but the Faculty apparently disagreed, because when he spoke, it was another bombshell. "Dincht, Zell Dincht of Squad B."

Unlike the other two however, Zell did not freeze and stare at the Faculty Member in surprise and shock. Overcome with excitement and joy, the brawler leapt up into the air, startling everyone in the process. "OOOOH YEEEEAAAHH BABY!" He pumped his fists in the air in victory, grinning from ear to ear. "See ya!"

And with that, he jogged happily passed the Faculty, leaving the hallway chatting animatedly amongst one another. He distinctly heard someone comment that if someone with Zell's temperament could pass, then it should've been easy. Squall wasn't about to tell them just how wrong they were.

Everyone seemed to be convinced that that was that, that those three were the new SeeD members. At least Squall knew he was convinced. It had been unlikely that more than two cadets had passed, and a fourth was just an impossibility. This exam was already a huge achievement for SeeD – no doubt the results would be talked about for years to come.

Still, Squall couldn't help but feel the stirrings of disappointment deepen. Judging from the expressions on their faces, both Selphie and Zell had been sure they'd failed the exam along with him, and learning that they had passed and he hadn't made him feel somewhat bitter. But in the end it was Garden's decision and he had to stand by it. Perhaps they felt he wasn't quite ready to join SeeD yet. He wondered if it was going to take as many attempts as Seifer had in order to make the feat. There was the small consolation in knowing that Seifer wouldn't become a SeeD as a result of his actions, but to be put (once again) in the same category as him made the disappointment dissolve into disgust.

But when Squall looked up from his mental musings, he realized that the students were staring curiously at the entrance way where the Garden Faculty currently stood. Surely he was already done telling them what they needed to know.

And almost to contradict Squall's thought process, the Faculty member checked his clipboard one more time and made an exaggerated motion of moving it away, almost like he was intentionally drawing in the tension. At great length, he finally spoke; "Leonhart, Squall Leonhart of Squad B."


	11. Chapter X: Office Politics

**Edited: **_01/27/09_

**Edited: **_05/23/10_

* * *

**Chapter X:  
Office Politics**

* * *

If asked later on how he had managed to walk to the elevator and find himself up onto the third floor of the Garden, he wouldn't have been able to recall it. All he knew was that once he'd heard his name, his body had seemed to move on its own accord and when he'd finally snapped out of his shocked stupor, he was standing with the other three graduates in a straight line in the centre of the third floor. The same Garden Faculty who had announced the results was standing in front of them and, beside him, stood Headmaster Kramer, his hands at his side and his expression beaming.

Who could blame him? Over one third of the examinees had passed.

"Congratulations," the Headmaster said once the Garden Faculty confirmed their presence and everyone was standing in an attentive stance. "You have all just made history. We haven't had this high a graduation rate in… well, _ever_ actually.

"However, now that you are all SeeD members, I must make a few things clear. For starters, you will all undertake missions that will take you to various places around the world. As you have learned from this exam, you are to carry out your missions with care, and accordingly you are to ensure your missions completion. Some of those missions will only require a few days time, while others may even take years to complete. For you, Dollet was only the beginning.

"But that is merely one aspect of SeeD," the Headmaster continued and the Garden Faculty stiffened slightly. "For when the time comes…"

"Sir, the meeting will begin very shortly," the Faculty interrupted and Squall attempted to keep his expression neutral. It seemed to work though; no one noticed. "So I must ask that you keep this short."

Before the Headmaster could even utter a sound, the Garden Faculty cleared his throat and turned to address the four of them. "SeeD is a valuable asset to Garden, with its reputation depending on each and every one of you. Remember, one slip up or failed mission can affect the likely hood of ever receiving mission requests from that client. Also, you will likely be utilizing a number of Guardian Forces now that you have successfully passed your exam, and more options will be opened to you. It is very important, however, that you abstain from listening to the GF criticisms you may be likely to hear from other Gardens, Military Forces or other GF critics and their supporters."

He seemed to remember himself at the last moment before turning to regard the Headmaster. "Is _that_ what you were going to say, sir?"

Squall doubted very much that the Garden Faculty had actually thought the Headmaster was planning on talking about all that. Judging by the look on the Headmaster's face – it had the look of someone who had just swallowed the juice of a particularly sour lemon – his assumption was right. Squall couldn't help but think back to the incident in front of the library. Back then, the Headmaster had been about to say something as well, but the Garden Faculty in the area had ushered him along for the meeting that was supposed to be taking place. He wondered if it was anything important and, if so, why the Faculty was so intent on keeping the Headmaster from saying anything.

"Actually," the Headmaster said, "there _is_ one more thing I'd like to say."

The Faculty turned his head marginally, and Squall was fairly sure that he was giving Headmaster Kramer a reproachful look. Still, the Headmaster cleared his throat and stepped forward. "As you well know, once you are finished here, you are to give a speech to the rest of your classes, but once that is done, you may consider your semester completed."

Squall caught Zell grinning excitedly from the corner of his eye and knew he was happy to hear that.

"You may choose to use the day as you wish, but remember that the Inauguration Party will be held later this evening. Because of this, you will all be summoned for a fitting of your new SeeD uniforms – to prevent any wardrobe malfunctions of any sort. At any rate, you are all free until the evening."

"Here are your SeeD reports," the Garden Faculty said, handing them to the Headmaster in order for him to hand them out. He stepped forward, handing a folder to each individual, stopping to whisper something to them.

Whatever it was, Selphie seemed to grin and Nida appeared somewhat apprehensive. Squall could hear what the Headmaster said to Zell, who had been shaking once he'd received his report. "Try to control your emotions a little."

Zell grinned sheepishly and, like the other two, tucked his report underneath his arm to read once they'd been dismissed. The Headmaster stepped in front of Squall and gave him his report, leaning over to whisper, "Finally, a gunblade specialist. We'll talk privately one day."

Squall raised an eyebrow at the last part, wondering what they would have to talk about. However, before he could say anything else, the Headmaster was standing in front of them, his hands clasped behind his back. "This concludes the SeeD Inauguration. Dismissed."

* * *

When all four of the newly Inaugurated SeeDs had left the third floor, Cid turned to glare at the Faculty member, who appeared standing as he was. It was difficult to read what he was thinking with the hats obscuring their faces, and Cid had always hated that they wore them. "I don't appreciate being interrupted."

"Well, it _is_ true," the Faculty member said in a matter-of-fact tone. "You do have a meeting to attend, and we still have yet to conclude our business with Trepe."

Cid frowned; not only did he know the real reason why he had been interrupted, but he didn't appreciate the way he had addressed Quistis. "That's _Instructor_ Trepe," he corrected.

"Of course," the Faculty commented in a falsely sincere tone.

Cid continued to scowl, but forced the emotion from his expression as they made their way back to his office, where Quistis was awaiting them. When they entered, the young instructor instantly rose to her feet and fell into a salute. He acknowledged her, and she remained standing in an attentive stance as Cid made his way to his desk. The Garden Faculty followed him, standing at his right hand side with his hands at his side. "Sit down," Cid said and Quistis did so, putting her hands together and positioning them onto her lap.

"Instructor number 114, Quistis Trepe," the Garden Faculty member started and Quistis turned to regard him. "Do you know why you are here?"

"No I do not," Quistis answered simply. She did not elaborate what she did know and Cid forced himself not to smile. Formalities weren't needed and she wanted to get straight to the point.

"Due to the fact that there is a meeting to be held soon, we will make this very brief," the Faculty member stated, though his voice betrayed that he was quite pleased with the decision overall. Cid resisted the urge to scowl. "As of zero hundred hours tonight, you're Instructor's License will be revoked."

The neutral yet diplomatic expression on the young instructor's face dropped and revealed her surprise at the sudden declaration. She made to say something, but stopped herself, clearing her throat before she asked, "Permission to speak freely."

"It's your right," Cid said before the Garden Faculty had a chance to say anything.

"On what grounds am I to have my license revoked?"

"According to reports that have recently come to light, it has been decided that you have failed in your duties as an instructor, primarily in the teaching of your students. A fundamental requirement, as you must already know, for being an instructor is to possess leadership qualities, which you obviously seem to lack."

"In my defence," Quistis said, her tone retaining some diplomatic respect,  
"Seifer Almasy has had three chances with two other instructors prior to being under my tutelage. If anything, it is unfair to judge my performance solely on this student."

"Your termination is not a result of Seifer Almasy," the Garden Faculty said plainly and Cid could tell Quistis was confused. "As a first year instructor, you must know that you were supervised on several occasions by a senior instructor as well as one of the Garden Faculty staff."

"And it is in my understanding that I passed each and every one of those supervised evaluations."

Cid knew the Faculty was immensely enjoying himself with this task; he didn't even bother to cover it up from his voice. "While that is quite a fact, you only managed to scrape a passing grade."

"I have all the documentation to prove otherwise," Quistis argued.

"Be that as it may," the Faculty member sneered uncaringly. "_Our_ documentation is the basis of this decision, and it has already been finalized. As of midnight, you will no longer be an instructor at this Garden."

"So should I begin packing my bags now?" Quistis asked, her tone betraying her outrage as she rose to her feet. "Or will I be expecting you to send my luggage once I find permanent lodgings?'

"Neither."

It was the first time Cid had spoke during the entire meeting, and both Quistis and the Garden Faculty turned to regard him as though they'd forgotten he was even there. "You will not be leaving the Garden."

"Sir, I don't understand," Quistis started, but Cid raised a hand, signalling for her to stop.

"Yes, your license has been revoked." Cid began when Quistis sat back down. "But that does not mean that you will be expected to leave. That was originally what the Garden Faculty had decided. However," Quistis had been about to say something but was silenced as Cid raised his voice over hers. "I have overruled their decision. It would look bad on the Garden if the individual who is _still_ presently the only one to have achieved a perfect score on her Field Exam were to be ousted."

Quistis was staring at him, obviously shocked by this declaration, and Cid took the opportunity to continue, "Thus you will retain your SeeDship. Your rank will be the same as it was when you first obtained your Instructor's License. SeeD Rank 16 I believe."

The instructor nodded in agreement and Cid made a note of it.

"Well," the Faculty member said curtly. He didn't try to hide his disapproval of this decision and sounded completely like a child who'd just had his fun ruined. "It appears as though we are done here. Now if you'll excuse us, Trepe, we have a meeting to attend."

"Actually, I would like a few moments to prepare." Cid announced, leaning back in his chair and clasping his hands together. "Tell him I'll be in the conference room in five minutes."

"Sir, with all due respect," the Faculty member said, though it didn't sound as though he meant a word of it, "you've already delayed the meeting long enough."

"Be that as it may, I would still like a few moments. No, Quistis, you may stay."

Quistis had been in the process of rising to her feet when Cid said this. Though appearing confused by the request, she at least stayed where she was. The Garden Faculty looked from one to the other before huffing and stalking out of the room, the office door sliding open and shut accordingly.

"I don't believe there's anything left to be said." Quistis said a little curtly.

Cid didn't pay the tone any mind. She had every right to feel betrayed and upset. "We don't have much time, so I will make this short, but you are to keep this to yourself. You were not fired because of your lack of leadership skills."

"I gathered that much," Quistis said, and Cid smiled, thankful that the young woman before him was as intuitive as she was. It was going to make things much easier for him. "It's because I stood up to the Garden Faculty yesterday, isn't it?"

"That…" Cid said, rising to his feet and clasping his hands behind his back. "Is partially the reason. The main reason is because the Garden Master believes that I'm too… lenient… when it comes to certain students."

"He thinks you're playing favourites?" The instructor asked. Cid nodded.

"To be fair, especially when it comes to Seifer, I have been far more merciful than I should have," Cid admitted. "But it's not just about Seifer."

Quistis seemed to catch on. "Squall."

Cid nodded. "It's because we gave him the opportunity to take the prerequisite which resulted in his participation in the exam despite his procrastination. Norg doesn't believe that I made the right decision, and came to the conclusion that I'm allowing him the same privileges as Seifer. When the Faculty refused to allow you into the cavern, it was because Norg told them to, because he doesn't want me giving special treatment for… special circumstances."

"But sir, why _did_ you let him go to the Fire Cavern? Most other students would have been sent to study hall instead."

"I have my reasons. One of which is the very reason you brought to my attention in the first place."

Quistis blinked twice, obviously not sure of what he meant. Cid's grin did not waver. "He has the same level of potential that Seifer possesses, perhaps even more so. That in itself is saying something since we both know how gifted Seifer is as a fighter and a gunblade specialist. After watching him fail time and again because of his arrogance and carelessness, it would have been a shame to watch someone else follow that same path.

"Besides which, despite his recent procrastination, Squall has proven that his motivations for becoming a member of SeeD are greater than Seifer's. Instead of flaunting his abilities and gloating about them, Squall chose to better himself and train rather than waste the energy needlessly. I'd say he more than proved his was ready to undertake the exam despite this random action of delay."

"I still don't understand where I come into this?" Quistis said after a moment, still sounding puzzled. He didn't argue with him, and he knew that she wouldn't have, given the evidence he'd just provided.

Cid returned to his seat and sighed, rubbing his chin and knowing that no matter how he phrased it, what he had to say was going to sound terrible. "Norg didn't understand my motives either. He didn't see things the way I saw them. We've already discussed his views on special treatment, regardless of the reason or intentions behind them. He would have had ample ammunition in order to discredit me as an educator and have me removed from my position. But he chose not to. Why do you think that is?"

Quistis remained silent, though Cid knew her well enough to know it was not because she did not know the answer. She was simply waiting for him to continue, as the question had been rhetorical. "It is because the administrators aren't truly the ones with power in the Garden. We make the decisions, we provide order, but we wouldn't be here if it weren't for the students who attend classes here. _They_ are the ones who hold the power. And to have me step down so suddenly after this exam would have caused an uproar fuelled by confusion due to the short notice. The ensuing chaos would be all too much for Norg to handle and this is why he refrained. If he still wants me to resign, he's going to have to bide his time and wait for the opportune moment. He knows this as well.

"Though sadly this is where you come in," Cid continued, his tone betraying his regret. "In order to oust me from the Garden, he will need to be assured that he will have the numbers to ensure a takeover attempt would prove favourable to him. When you stood up to the Garden Faculty and backed up the order I had given rather than allowed yourself to be cowed into submission, you sent a message that Norg interpreted in a manner that you may not have intended. He now believes that, should he rebel, you would side with me. Despite the knowledge that you are one person, as a faculty member, you would have some say over the decision. He wants to diminish any resistance that he may encounter should he make his move, and forcing you to lose your license In essence, you were made an example of, a warning from Norg that I am his next intended target."

"So I'm basically a scapegoat?" Quistis asked.

"Unfortunately, that is the case, but it is not the only thing," Cid replied solemnly, sorry she had become involved in this. "I fought against the decision but in the end there was nothing I could possibly do that wouldn't have made the situation worse than what it was. It was merely luck and a testament of your hard work that prevented the termination of your SeeDship. However, by forcing you back out into the field, I believe Norg intends to time his takeover after having sent you on a mission. To him, it would mean one less person to stand in his way. Hopefully though, we won't have to worry about that for a while still."

Cid looked up at the clock and noted that their time was almost up. "Now I really must get to that meeting. You are dismissed."

Quistis nodded in response and turned to leave, but Cid stopped her. "I must repeat how important and imperative it is that you tell no one about this conversation, least of all Squall or Seifer. Norg cannot find out about this."

The Instructor stared at him for a moment before nodding solemnly. "Yes sir," she said. Her tone was more welcoming than at the beginning of the talk.

Cid waved her on and she left, the door sliding closed behind her.


	12. Chapter XI: Grad Night

**Edited: **_01/27/09_

**Edited: **_05/23/10_

* * *

**Chapter XI:  
Grad Night**

* * *

Upon stepping out of the elevator, Squall checked his report, finding that, to his surprise, he'd managed to score higher than he had anticipated. The shock had been forced to take a back seat as each of the four newly promoted SeeDs were guided by yet another Garden Faculty along corridors that led to the classes, where students were waiting to see the results themselves. They'd stopped to find Seifer standing directly in their path, Fujin and Raijin behind him.

Squall hadn't known what to expect from the elder cadet, but the next thing he knew, Seifer'd started applauding out of the blue. It didn't take long for Fujin and Raijin to follow suit and soon, the whole hallway was applauding and sending their congratulations along the hall. It had been a surprise to say the least, especially given Fujin's earlier threat and, unlike the others who had soaked up the attention good naturedly, Squall had found himself put off by the action. Afterwards, the Garden Faculty had broken it up, and each SeeD was sent to their original homerooms in order to give a speech.

Once that mess had been sorted out, the afternoon was pretty much theirs. While Zell _finally_ went to grab some food from the cafeteria (apparently by the time the Inauguration had taken place, the cafeteria had run out of Hot Dogs), and Selphie could be heard running around the Garden in an attempt to recruit members for the Garden Festival. Squall didn't know (or particularly care for that matter) where the other new SeeD had opted to spend his time, but Squall had finally managed to get back to his dorm, shower and change clothes and grabbed something to eat at the cafeteria before opting to spend some time in the Training Center.

It had been approximately 1500 hours when they'd all been called to do their fittings for the new uniforms, and they were told that at the party they would learn where their new dorms were, as SeeD members had the luxury of not having to share with a roommate. This wasn't anything new to Squall, as he hadn't had a roommate in the last few months now, but everyone else seemed excited about the prospect. Once they were done with the fitting, Squall returned to the Training Center, hoping to get in a few more hours workout before he was expected to head to the ballroom.

The party wasn't due to start until 2000 hours, and it was almost 1900 when he returned to his room to get ready. When he began to prepare for another shower, he'd been shocked to find his uniform hung up on a hanger where he'd put his cadet uniform. It didn't have the blue tie that Instructor Trepe's uniform had. It was black in colour, with gold trimming and the shoulders had added material attached that joined in the back, with a gold chain connecting the front.

Normally he saw clothes as what they were, a means to cover up parts of the body that were deemed by the wearer as undesirable to show off, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride as he took in the look of the uniform – it represented everything he'd strived to become since he'd started attending the Garden. It was surprising to think that just the previous morning he had been contemplating not even taking the chance. Now he was glad he'd gone through with it after all.

Even though he had been set into a situation he hadn't been entirely sure he was ready for, having to take lives to protect an area, and nearly lost his own trying to reach the transport before it left him behind, it was all worth it for that very moment.

Sighing, he turned his attention towards his desk where he had placed his Exam results and, though he knew he had limited time before he was expected in the Ballroom, he couldn't help but pick the folder up and open it to examine his results that were written past his name and student number:

**_'Conduct Score:_**

_The Conduct Score is based upon how well the SeeD Candidate followed the orders that were given to him/her during the course of the Field Exam._

Though leaving the designated area, Candidate Leonhart portrayed the ability to follow the orders of his commanding officer and Squad Leader throughout the course of the Field Exam, regardless of his own personal feelings of the order. As a result, he has been awarded 80 points.

**_'Judgement Score:_**

_The Judgement Score is determined by the SeeD Candidate's ability to assess the situation and thus react accordingly, and thus resulting in the completion of the mission as well as the safety of his/her accompanied squad members._

Candidate Leonhart represented his ability to take in a dangerous situation and respond to said situation with a level head, and to make decisions that would prevent placing himself and the persons around him in danger. Furthermore, Candidate Leonhart also displayed leadership qualities that resulted in not only the safety of the persons in his immediate area, but by also alerting another squad of the dangers as well. As a result, he has been awarded 100 points.

**_'Attack Score:_**

_The Attack Score is determined by the nature in which the SeeD Candidate reacts to an enemy presence. _

Though this was his first time taking the Field Exam, Candidate Leonhart reacted quickly and precisely when presented with enemy personnel. As a result, he has been awarded 100 points.

**_'Attitude Score:_**

_The Attitude Score is based upon the SeeD Candidate's ability to keep himself/herself focused on the mission at hand. _

Candidate Leonhart proceeded to demonstrate how well he was able to focus solely on the mission priority set before him. As a result, he has been awarded 100 points.

'Total Score: 380/400 (95%)

'Due to the intense nature that SeeD missions possess, and the high probability of casualties, it is required that all SeeD Candidates must possess at the very least a ninety percentage rate in order to successfully pass the field exam.

'Starting Rank and Pay Grade: 9

There was another page behind the report, but Squall had already discovered that it was his diploma. The lone piece of paper was proof that SeeD's instructors had nothing more to teach him.

Even with the proof of the report staring him in the face, he still couldn't wrap his head around it. Despite leaving the area they were supposed to be guarding, he'd managed to get a rather high mark. He supposed it was because he'd been following orders, but their actions could have jeopardized the mission entirely. What if there had been soldiers who'd come after they'd left and ambushed the SeeD teams who were fending off the Galbadian Forces, like the Lieutenant had pointed out? What would have happened then?

Trying fairly hard to push the thoughts to the back of his mind, Squall replaced the folder onto the desk, showered and changed into the uniform. Inspecting himself in the mirror, he felt that he looked strange wearing it, wondering if it suited him at all. He supposed it would take some getting used to. He'd actually made SeeD rank and tonight's party was a commemoration of that feat.

Checking the time, he realized he had thirty minutes to get to the Ballroom and opted to leave then. Within the last twenty-four hours he'd been later than expected when it came to arriving at his destinations and it was a trend he'd rather like to break.

* * *

He knew he wasn't one for parties, and to be honest if this hadn't been a special occasion where his presence was required, he would have spent the night in theTrainingCenter. There had been a speech made by the Headmaster at the beginning of the evening, and now people were moving about at their leisure, either dancing or taking advantage of the food that was being served, all the while mingling with others.

Instead of doing any of that, Squall was leaning against a pillar in an out-of-the-way place. Unlike Seifer, he wanted to be left undetected rather than the center of attention. He figured that having stayed for a few hours, he would eventually be able to sneak away without anyone noticing (or caring) about his disappearance. But in the meantime he was bored. He had nothing to do and had no interest in mingling. When a waitress – hired by Garden staff for this very occasion – passed him by with a tray carrying glasses ofChampagne, Squall took one and sipped from it occasionally as he watched the goings on of those who surrounded him.

"Yo!" He winced slightly as a familiar voice invaded his low key surroundings.

When he looked in the direction – mild curiosity forced him to – he caught sight of Zell running up to him, wearing the SeeD uniform like him. Squall decided that it looked much more awkward on Zell than it did on him, since the brawler still wore his hair in the same spiked up fashion. "Didn't get a chance to say this earlier, but," he started wiping his hand – free of the knuckle gloves he normally wore – onto his newly pressed pants before extending it forward. "Glad you made it, man. Woulda been a crime if we passed and you didn't. Put 'er there."

He kept his hand outstretched, almost as though he expected Squall to shake it. Instead, the dark-haired SeeD took another sip of his drink and looked away. Despite being insulted, however, Zell laughed, and withdrew his hand. "Still the same as always, huh? Wouldn't have it any other way."

He looked around, before appearing to spot someone else he wanted to talk to. "Enjoy yourself, man. After yesterday, we've earned it."

Zell waved before heading off, though Squall could hear Selphie corner the brawler in the distance, asking him to join the Garden Festival. Zell made up some kind of excuse before running off. A moment later, Selphie appeared in front of him, wearing her uniform as well. "Heya Squall!" she said brightly. "I didn't get a chance to get an answer from you earlier, what with the craziness today. So…"

She paused, giving him what she apparently believed was a pleading expression. "Can you maybe join the Garden Festival Committee? I know we won't have much time now since we're SeeDs, but you can help out whenever you have time."

She cupped her hands together, much like Zell had when he'd requested to look at Squall's gunblade. Not really being in the mood to act social, he took another sip of wine and ignored her, only to have her dart off a moment later, having spotted someone else and asked them to join.

He soon lost track of time. It was moving far too slowly for him to continuously glance up at the clock, waiting for the time where he would sneak away. It was already dark outside. The glass ceiling above gave off the perfect view of the night time sky, only disturbed by the occasional fire cracker that would go off. It was during one of those calm periods that he caught sight of a shooting star flying overhead and towards the west.

For some reason, he chose that moment to look down and was about to take another sip of his Champagne – by then he had had a few glasses and there was a very comfortable buzz humming between his temples – but stopped when he noticed something that shouldn't have been there.

In the middle of the dance floor was a girl he'd never seen before – she looked much different from the girl he'd seen in the infirmary, but he was fairly sure that this time, at least, he wasn't hallucinating, because the dancers seemed to making conscious attempts to avoid running into her. She had shoulder-length black hair and was wearing a short white dress that had straps that crossed over her collarbone and did up at the back. She was staring up at the ceiling above as well.

Squall assumed that one of the other SeeD members – because SeeD members were permitted to attend the Inauguration party in order to congratulate the newest members – had brought her along, though why she was standing alone he did not know. He wasn't about to ask, though. But strangely enough, when she looked down, she spotted him and smiled before pointing up at the sky.

_She isn't pointing at the same star…is she?_ He mused mentally and merely tilted his head to the side in contemplation. It could be that he was mistaking where she was looking. Someone could possibly be standing close by – close enough where a mistake like this could possibly be made.

But he was startled from this thought when she seemed to sigh in exasperation and made her way right towards him. Still, he figured she was merely moving towards someone nearby, but as she drew nearer and nearer, he became less and less certain of this, especially when she came to stop only a couple feet away from him. He couldn't help but notice that on top of her hair being black, there were golden-brown highlights in the shorter strands framing her face.

Folding her arm across her chest, she tilted her head, almost as though she were mimicking his earlier actions. "You," she said, and there was a playful tone as she spoke, "are the best looking guy here."

He stared at her for a moment, thinking for a moment that she didn't have very much tact, and yet knowing himself that he should not be allowed to judge her on that. He didn't respond, hoping she would take the hint and leave him alone. Just because she was by herself didn't necessarily mean he wanted her company.

She cleared her throat. Obviously she wasn't used to being ignored. "Dance with me." It was not a request, and still, Squall said nothing.

After a moment, she unfolded her arms and placed her right hand on her hip. At first Squall thought she was going to tell him off for being rude to her (something he'd heard plenty of times in the past), but was surprised when she sighed once again. "Let me guess. You're one of those guys who'll only dance with someone they think is cute or they like. I can deal with that."

And just as Squall figured that she would leave, she clapped her hands together and pushed her index finger forward, almost close enough to touch the bridge of his nose and at eye level. "Look into my eyes…"

When she spoke next, she said it in a mock-mystic hushed voice, the words joining together at the speed that she was talking, "You-are-going-to-like-me, you-are-going-to-like-me, you-are-going-to-like-me…"

Squall watched her finger, his eyebrow raised at the perplexing behaviour. And he'd thought _Seifer _had been acting strange yesterday. Did she actually think this was going to work?

She withdrew her hand, her bent fingers bent at her chin and she looked at him with an almost pathetically curious expression on her face. "Did it work?"

Squall sighed. He had to give her points for trying but it didn't mean he was going to give in. So he took another sip of his drink and shook his head, knowing he wouldn't be able to get rid of her if he didn't do something. At last, he spoke. "Don't dance."

The girl frowned. Squall thought she'd bought it before she reached forward and grabbed his free hand, forcing him to leave his glass in an arch inside the wall the pillar was affixed to. "You'll be fine. I'm waiting for someone, so I might as well have _some_ fun… and anyways, I can't be on the dance floor all by myself. I'd look _pathetic_."

Squall didn't know why she was doing this, only that she'd caught him off guard with her sudden action as she pulled him onto the dance floor, her walk purposeful as he dully followed her. He thought it might have been the alcohol finally taking its toll, or maybe he was so used to people actually listening to him that he'd let down his guard, having expected the usual response of being left alone. Either way, he could do nothing but gape as she stopped and turned around, positioning both of his hands on her waist and putting both of hers atop his shoulders. She must have taken his shock as his lack of experience.

Of course Squall had been lying. Garden students were trained in various ways, learning various skills in order for them to blend into their surroundings. Should they be assigned to meet someone in an area, like a gala, they would have to be capable of playing the part. Likewise if they were hired to kill someone.

_It's simple then,_ he thought to himself as she looked up at him, silently asking if he were ready. _Just pretend to mess up. Eventually she'll get frustrated, forget about this whole thing and leave me be._

She didn't wait for a verbal response and began to move in time with the music, guiding him to move with her. Leading the pair, she stepped to the left, then forward, then to the right with Squall obviously fumbling as he followed. He kept an eye on his feet, feeling very much like he had when he'd first attended these classes, and didn't notice when she suddenly stopped the movement in an attempt to conduct the next part. As a result, he collided into her, forcing her to stumble as he righted himself.

She proved she had more patience than he credited her. Instead of getting annoyed, she simply laughed, repositioned his arms back to the correct stance and tried again. He did the same thing as the previous time, but this time he managed to avoid slamming into her as she stretched her arm and pulled herself apart from him. Rather than do the same, he looked around, wondering if there was anyone watching this horrible performance, but as she moved away, instead of grounding his feet he felt himself pulled over and he collided into her again.

Thinking that maybe he'd done enough damage, he forced his expression into an 'I-told-you-so' look and went to walk away – as though humbled – but surprisingly enough the girl pulled him back by his right hand using both of hers. He was so startled that he didn't resist and she successfully pulled him back. He couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed that she was so stubborn. _Just give up already_.

She tried to guide him through another section of the dance, and this time he found himself distracted. He'd never met anyone so tenacious in his life. None of his instructors, not even Instructor Trepe were like that. So when they bumped into another dancing pair, he was startled out of his thoughts, and he turned to see the SeeD and his date scowling at them.

He expected the girl to be embarrassed, but he was surprised once again when she just stuck her tongue out at them in a very Selphie-like way. The dancing pair moved further away, and the girl looked up at him and laughed slightly, though it didn't sound in the least bit embarrassed this time. "I've never known someone to fake bad dancing _that _much."

Before he could say anything, she grinned broadly. "I can tell a faker from a really bad dancer, and I know you're faking. Just to let you know though, I'm _not_ giving up, so you might as well do it properly."

Squall wondered if it had been the fact that he was thinking that had given him away, but nevertheless knew that he'd been busted and that there was no way he could talk his way out of this. Maybe it was the added influence of theChampaignhe'd been drinking, but he nodded, giving into her request.

They re-positioned themselves directly across from one another, her left hand in his and they continued the dance. Squall found that it was much easier to just let the music take him and move according to that than to concentrate all that energy into making a fool of himself. He couldn't help but wonder why he didn't just tell her he didn't want to go onto the dance floor in the first place, and a moment later he answered his own question – the end result would have been the same.

It was like they were almost gliding on the dance floor with the other pairs, moving as though scripted by some higher power and for the first time in his life – the first time he could even _recall_ – he felt something other than numb indifference. It was almost like he was happier, for a lack of a better word, but he couldn't conceive why. All he was doing was dancing with this pushy girl he'd never seen or even met before.

When the dance concluded, the lights dimmed around them, and an especially large fire cracker went off above the glass ceiling they were standing beneath. While the other dancers resumed their movements, Squall and the girl looked up, watching the remnants of the lights disappear into the night time sky. He watched them go almost in a daze. He was actually fairly certain that this was some kind of dream that he was going to awaken from any moment.

He sensed movement and saw that the girl was looking over her shoulder at something. He hadn't been aware of it a moment ago, but he had been grinning slightly. However, the expression was wiped from his features as she tapped him on the shoulder, winked and walked away, heading to the darker side of the Ballroom where he could not see.

The feeling that came over him next was a dimly familiar one, a feeling of loss he could not explain. It seemed to smother the warmer emotion as it all but consumed him and, wanting to be anywhere else but on the dance floor, he went to return to the pillar he had been abruptly removed from, only to find that it was occupied. Thinking that he could do with some fresh air, he stalked over to the balcony, hoping that it was empty.

He found that it was and, as soon as he reached the railing, he took in a deep breath and released it slowly, repeating the action twice more before he felt he had calmed enough. His head felt dully clouded, and he shook it to free up the cobwebs before sighing again. His drink was still inside, but he didn't miss it. He decided that he'd had enough. His main concern was that strange feeling, it had gotten to the point where he'd felt claustrophobic, almost smothered by the amount of people surrounding him. He wouldn't have been surprised if some of them had seen him leave and he found himself not caring.

It was all like a bad dream, like the one where someone goes to the front of the class to make a presentation only to discover they're in their underwear or less. He felt almost as defenceless, with absolutely nothing to shield himself or to hide behind. It was a thought that scared Squall for no reason, and he tightened his grip on the railing, closing his eyes and willing the thought away.

He heard footsteps from behind and wondered, for a fleeting moment, whether it was the girl in the white dress. The voice that spoke, however, proved this guess to be wrong.

"You really are an excellent student," the voice of Instructor Trepe said as the footfalls stopped. "You're attentive in class, you do the work, you excel when it comes to tests and examinations," he knew she was talking about the Field Exam and the Fire Cavern specifically, "even that dance was perfect."

_Which dance were you watching?_ Squall thought to himself, but reign in the thought, for once knowing that rudeness wasn't called for. Because of the instructor, he'd been able to take part in the exam and, though he'd almost died near the end of it, it was because of her that he was standing where he was. Squall might have been offensive most of the time but he knew when to toe the line. "…Thank you." He said, and he meant it.

The words weren't aimed just at her compliments, but for her actions that had led him to where he was standing at that moment, from accompanying him to the Fire Cavern to saving his life in Dollet. Despite what happened a moment ago with that strange girl, he'd accomplished his goal and for that he would always be grateful.

But instead of leaving as he had expected her to, she still stood there, almost as though wanting to say something and not being able to. The silence that filled the air was an awkward one; one that Squall knew had to be broken. "…Yes…?"

He turned around to face the instructor, noting that she was not in her uniform, but wearing the same thing she'd worn when they went to the Fire Cavern. Her arms were folded across her chest and she looked somewhat offended. "So you can dance with a complete stranger, but you can't even stand being anywhere near me?"

Squall sighed, leaning his back against the railing, and shook his head. "You're an instructor and I'm your student. It just gets awkward when you don't say anything."

The expression the instructor's face softened and she even laughed. "That makes sense, not knowing what to say to your instructor. I was like that myself once…"

A slightly reminiscent expression crossed her features but after a moment, it disappeared. "Obviously I'm here for a reason besides praising your skills. I've come to give you an order."

Squall stared at her intently and the instructor continued. "I want you to meet me in front of the Training Center. From there, we'll go to the Secret Area."

The teenager frowned. He had heard about the Secret Area, but there wasn't much reason for him to be there, so he'd never bothered to find out where it was exactly. He also knew that a large populace of the Garden went there after curfew, though now it made sense, since theTrainingCenterwas the only facility that ran late into the night.

"Is this so you can bust all the people violating curfew?" Squall asked, his charitable mood dissipating. "Forget it. Leave that for the Disciplinary Committee."

To his surprise, the instructor started laughing. She covered her mouth with her right hand and waved off the comment with her left. Obviously there had been something amusing about what he said, though Squall would be damned to know what it was. After a moment, she calmed down, and her expression shifted slightly. "Meet me in front of theTrainingCenter. You should be able to sneak out without anyone being the wiser now. I suggest you change as well, in case we have to fight some of the monsters in the den."

She sighed once more before continuing. "This will be my last order."

Squall frowned thoughtfully. "What do you mean 'last order'?"

The instructor smiled at him but it was different from most times; it looked a little sadder and Squall felt a bit of foreboding along with it. "Well…" she said before she sighed. "I've got a lot on my mind. You'll know what I mean."

And with that, she left him behind to mull over those words.

* * *

_What is this all about?_

Squall couldn't help but ask himself that very question during his trip from the Ballroom to the dormitory. Once he got back, he quickly changed into his street clothes – white t-shirt and black jeans with his usual fur-collared jacket – and after replacing his boots and holstering the Revolver, he made his way to theTrainingCenter.

He found her there leaning against the wall and waiting for him. Her arms were folded across her chest and her attention was fixed at the floor, almost as though she were in deep thought. When he arrived though, she looked up and removed herself from the wall. "I know this is supposed to be your night, but I really do need to talk to someone."

Squall shrugged and waited for her to explain. Unfortunately, she didn't. "But first a question. Have you ever fought a T-Rexaur in theTrainingCenter?"

Squall frowned. The T-Rexaurs were the strongest monsters in the Monster's Den. He recalled one incident where he'd encountered one (he'd been dared to by Seifer a couple years back), and he'd nearly been killed. If it hadn't been for his instructor at the time, they wouldn't be having this conversation. He'd managed to stay as far away from the creatures as possible ever since.

"Didn't think so," the instructor said, interpreting his look. "You remember the revision we did on Elemental magic junctioning?"

Squall frowned. He sincerely hoped she hadn't called him out just to talk to him through another revision lesson. He already made SeeD; there was no real reason to revise. Still, he nodded.

"Well, you can do the same thing with Status spells. It's a little trickier though; instead of focusing on a specific element, your concentration is more centered on a specific status. For example; the sleep spell is a very common one used, because it's the easiest spell to think about. While concentrating on sleep, like junctioning elemental magic, you can utilize its properties and transfer it onto your weapon, though it's not nearly as noticeable. Also, it's more difficult to transfer, so it may take a few tries until it finally works.

"The reason I say this," the instructor continued, "is because it works quite well on T-Rexaurs. That being said, not all monsters are prone to sleep spells, so another status spell might just work out. It takes plenty of practice to be able to perfect it, and eventually, you might be able to concentrate on both elemental and status effects at the same time, thus bombarding the enemy, but that takes many years to master."

For once, Squall was actually grateful for the revision. He never would have thought to use junctioning magic in that kind of way. Of course he'd learned about it, but it had been shoved to the back of his mind. At least now he something to try against the creature.

They set off shortly after that, their surroundings changing from the inside of the Garden to a luscious forest. Two steel doors led the way to two different paths that ultimately joined up; the door on the right where the more fierce and dangerous monsters were.

"Which way do you want to go?" Squall asked. It didn't matter either way to him.

"It doesn't really matter, we'll end up at the right place regardless," the instructor said. "But we might as well take the right path, so you can get a feel for status junctioning."

Squall nodded and they entered through the right door. It slid open as soon as the motion sensors detected their movement.

The Advanced side of the Training Center was a stark difference from the Intermediate. The ground they stood on just beyond the doors was an island. A bridge made of wooden planks led to another stretch of land and another bridge made from wood led to the opposite side. Between the islands was a lake, the water from the Garden fountains flowed beneath the bridges and around the islets.

They moved across the bridge and walked onto the stretch of land, covered in brush and the foliage of what could have been a surrounding forest. Having drawn his weapon, Squall kept the gunblade level in case he had to react quickly. But after a minute of walking, Squall caught some movement from the corner of his eye and turned to investigate, finding nothing out of the ordinary. The instructor noticed this because she stopped, seemingly waiting to see what her former student was about to do.

A moment later, the brush twitched and then _moved_ – lunging out to attack.

Reacting quickly, Squall positioned the Revolver in front of him, watching as a vine-like arm swept forward in an attempt to slam him. The vine hit the blunt side of the weapon before Squall moved in order to block a second one. He jumped backwards after that, as a third and forth flew at him straight on and as soon as he was far enough from the brush, he knew exactly what it was.

It was a Grat; a shrub with legs – six to be precise – and a sack filled with different types of pollen that served as its body. The longer branches were actually the creature's arms and were always raised in order to keep the creature balanced.

Squall concentrated as hard as he could on sleep, hoping that it would be effective the first time and once he was sure he was ready jumped forward, raising the Revolver and slashing down, slashing the Grat.

At first, he was sure it'd worked, but the Grat proved him wrong; swinging its arms and attempting to force him back. Gritting his teeth, he realized the Instructor had been right; it was much harder than elemental junctioning. Forcing himself to calm down, he tried again, taking a moment to force his thoughts of sleep onto the blade before charging in once again.

The Grat was obviously not about to let another slash attack go by. It lashed out with its arms once again and Squall was forced to abort his charge, dodging and ducking out of the line of fire. When he was far enough again, he knew this wasn't going to work; he had to concentrate on hitting the Grat and then forcing it to sleep.

A source of inspiration came to mind as he took in his gunblade and he charged forward again, not bothering to concentrate. The Grat resumed its attacks, but rather than retreat, Squall continued forward, slashing at the limbs as he made his way closer to the body. Raising the gunblade up Squall chopped down, slashing into the Grat, pushing the blade deep into the shrub. It was then that Squall concentrated, guiding the sleep spells down his arms and through the Gunblade while the Grat squirmed and wriggled in an attempt to dislodge the weapon. When he was satisfied, Squall pulled the trigger twice, just to be certain before he withdrew the weapon and backed up.

Instead of retaliating though, the Grat wilted, its limbs falling carelessly to the ground as it deflated in front of him, the monster's blood dripping from the wound. He frowned slightly not knowing what happened but closed his eyes as he searched for a particular spell. When he opened them, his surroundings were black and white again, and the Grat wasn't giving off any heat signatures.

His frown deepened and he dispelled the effects of the scan spell. There was no way to tell whether or not he'd been successful. Squall figured it was the second shot – it had been too much.

"Stand back," Instructor Trepe's voice sounded from behind.

Still disappointed in himself, he did as told and realized why when he saw two – three identical shrugs clambering out of the brush. By the time he had returned to the Instructor's side, four more had joined the group. They must have been drawn to the original confrontation.

The instructor stepped in front of him, a sign that she wanted him to stay out of the way. Squall wasn't sure that was a good idea. He'd fought Grats before and while one of them wasn't that big a problem (unless you were trying to junction magic to your weapon), he had trouble fending off three of the plant-like creatures at the same time.

As the Grats started towards them, Instructor Trepe took in a deep breath – Squall assumed she was preparing herself to attack – but a moment later, she opened her mouth and exhaled. What Squall hadn't expected was the large fire energy that was surrounding her now opened mouth, collecting almost as though it were a bomb waiting to go off. When the energy was large enough to generate a circle of heat that was almost double the size of her head, it propelled out, and Squall (suddenly very glad that he had stayed behind the instructor) watched as the Grats that were in its path (all of them) were bombarded by the blast of fire. It was so hot that it burned a path into the ground and made the surrounding air ripple.

The attack was short lived. When the blast had died down to nothing, only charred grass and smoking corpses remained.

The instructor then bend down, hunched over as she started coughing. Squall regarded her curiously until her now hoarse throat managed to make a sound, "Water…"

Reaching into his items pouch, he pulled out a bottle of water and handed it to her, in a complete daze as to what he'd just witnessed. As she drank from the bottle – some water dribbling out the side of her mouth – he couldn't help but think that he'd never seen any kind of magic like that before.

She'd almost downed the contents when she tore the bottle from her mouth, gasping as though she were out of breath. Finally she pulled herself into a sitting position, turned to regard him and said, "Thank you."

"What _was _that?" Squall found himself asking. He hadn't meant to say anything. He hadn't been entirely sure if he could.

The instructor, instead of looking proud of herself, appeared somewhat guilty. "Of course you wouldn't know. I haven't told very many people. The Headmaster and the Lieutenant are really the only ones who know, but…"

She pulled herself into a standing position, bottle still in hand in case she needed another drink. "That brand of magic isn't something you come across everyday…"

_No kidding,_ Squall thought but stayed silent.

"And it's unlike the para-magic we use in our spells either," she continued, oblivious to his thoughts. It's called Blue Magic. But the more ignorant people tend to call it 'Monster Magic'. That's because that kind of magic is normally used by Monsters."

She could tell he was confused. Her expression shifted somewhat as she spoke, "But for some reason I'm able to utilize those skills when no one else can. It's fairly strange, which is why I haven't told anyone else about it."

An awkward silence filled the air after those words, and Squall wondered why she had told him all of this, or even bothered to show him. It wasn't any of his business or anyone else's for that matter, and her need to explain herself was unnecessary.

But before he could comment, the instructor inclined her head in the direction they were headed. "We're close to the Secret Area. We should keep moving if we want to avoid unnecessary attacks."

* * *

The rest of the trip was uninterrupted as they'd made their way to the Secret Area, which left her alone to her thoughts. Quistis wasn't exactly sure why she'd used her powers on those Grats when she could have just as easily taken them out without them. Perhaps she was showing off a bit, trying to prove that she wasn't like other girls.

Almost immediately after using the Fire Breath though, she'd regretted it. It had made her feel like she was some kind of ridiculous cartoon character having eaten something spicy and spitting out flames while broiling someone in the vicinity once she'd burped. The heartburn that came with it wasn't a comfort either, but at least her throat no longer felt raw.

That was only one reason why she tried to abstain from using her Blue Magic. The other reason was, exactly as she'd told Squall, because of the controversy that came with being able to use them. She had very distant memories of being tormented and ridiculed because of her so called 'gift', which was why only Xu and the Headmaster even knew about it. But what the other children had thought was strange and unnatural, Headmaster Kramer had praised as being a unique talent, but had also opted to keep it to himself unless she deemed otherwise.

To be honest, she was still surprised at how very few people even knew about it. Squall made the total crawl to three, but she wouldn't have put it past the Garden Faculty to have known as well.

Just thinking about them made her blood boil. The events of that very morning were still fresh in her mind. She'd spent most of the day packing her things and moving them to a dorm on the first floor, hoping she didn't run into any of her former students, if only to delay the inevitable embarrassment her dismissal would cause. She could just imagine what Seifer would say, he'd assume it was his responsibility and wouldn't hesitate to brag about it, let alone having prophesized it in their earlier exchange.

They reached the stone wall that separated the Advanced Side of theTrainingCenterfrom the Intermediate. Not far away from it was a bridge that led into a small crevice in the wall a little ways ahead. Judging by the slight expression of shock on her former pupil's face, he'd never noticed it was even there. This hardly surprised Quistis, as she assumed he was usually engrossed with his training. The fact that the bridge was hidden quite well amongst the moss and other foliage the surroundings had to offer helped, if only a little.

They crossed the bridge without further incident and emerged from the hot and humid air that the Monster Den offered and into the cool night breeze that was the Secret Area.

It wasn't much at first glance, consisting of a rather large and mundane looking circular balcony that overlooked the forest outside of the Garden. Still, there was a certain forbidden quality to it that made it all the more alluring. Quistis caught sight of at least two pairs talking in quiet tones or just cuddling before spotting a more secluded area where they wouldn't be overheard.

When Quistis pointed this out to Squall, she could tell he was taking in the area without interest. She didn't doubt that he'd expected something more than just a platform of metal; she had at least when she'd first been told about this place a few years ago. Still, when she moved closer to the balcony, he followed suit. Quistis leaned forward, resting her arms atop the railing and placing her chin atop her arms. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Squall leaning against it leisurely, no doubt wondering why she'd called him away.

Quistis wasn't entirely certain herself. She'd always known she had feelings for this particular student, but had never attempted to act on them for the simple manner that it would be inappropriate. But she couldn't think of anyone else to talk to. Xu already knew, because of her Lieutenant rank she was obligated to learn of a new SeeD member, and for some reason it didn't feel appropriate to complain to her. She had said she'd missed the action that SeeD awarded her, but teaching had been her lifelong ambition.

She knew her dismissal wasn't for the reasons the Garden Faculty had expressed, but the words had still stung and there was an air of uncertainty that they'd left behind. Had she really scored that badly on her supervised inspections? She hadn't been able to locate her own copies of the reports, and wondered for the first time whether she'd misread any of them. It was a possibility; people did make mistakes and see things differently from what they were sometimes.

While these thoughts stirred in her mind, she kept her gaze at the Garden. The lights that shone off the building she'd called home blinked as brightly as the stars above. She'd always hoped to come back to this place under better circumstances, but she didn't want to have to deal with the sympathetic looks the other instructors threw her way. She just wanted someone to understand.

Of course she knew she was forbidden to tell Squall any of what the Headmaster had shared with her that morning, but she couldn't think of another person to talk to. Maybe it was her naivety that made her think he just might understand while all logic dictated otherwise, but she had to at least try.

Though she didn't see how, even now he was as quiet as ever, no doubt waiting for her to say her piece. That's what she always liked about him, she supposed, his ability to focus on the point, and not to dally with any unnecessary small talk. Finally she looked up, checking her watch only to find that she'd left it back in her dorm. Scowling at herself, she returned her attention to the Garden, and noted that Squall had at least remembered his. "What time is it?"

She'd obviously interrupted his mental musings. No one else could have possibly spotted it, but he'd started slightly when she'd broken the silence. He waited for a moment, before checking his watch and answering. "…After midnight."

A painful feeling nearly overwhelmed her. It felt as though someone had just sucker punched her in the stomach and the wind had been knocked out of her. The moment she'd been dreading and yet eager to happen had done just that, probably while they were in the Training Center. She took a deep breath and sighed, digging her chin painfully into her arm. "…I see…" she muttered, though she wouldn't have been surprised if Squall had heard.

She allowed another moment of silence to pass them by, wondering how she was going to begin the conversation. She knew she couldn't just leave now, not with him here having agreed to speak to her about something. It wouldn't be fair to him and it certainly wasn't to her. Finally, she decided to just get it over with. "As of now," she said, turning to look at Squall, "I am no longer an instructor at this Garden."

Squall didn't mirror her movements, which was fine. She just wanted someone to hear her out. Though because of this, she couldn't tell whether the news had surprised him any. "I've been given SeeD status though, which means we may see each other on missions occasionally.

"Oh really?" Squall spoke after a moment of silence. It was a good sign, at least he was listening.

Still, it was slightly disheartening. She'd at least expected him to say something like 'that's too bad about your license' or 'we just might end up working together' or something to that effect. "Is that all you're going to say?"

Squall didn't respond. Something in Quistis hadn't expected him to and instead, she returned to her original stance – having moved when Squall spoke. Her gloved hands drummed along the balconies edge, making small tapping sounds that seemed loud against the silence that played out. "I was told," she said, knowing that she wasn't breaking any vows this way, "that I had failed as an instructor; that I lacked leadership skills. Which is funny since that was the glowing point in my SeeD report when I graduated."

She laughed bitterly and was surprised how good it felt to do so. Talking about it made her feel like some huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders and that it was safe to breath again. It felt so good, in fact, that she continued, regardless of Squall's lack of response. "Not once during my evaluations did anyone comment that I needed any improvement. 'Good job, Quistis. Keep up the good work.' If I was so bad a teacher, I would have liked to have been told so."

She waited for any comment from Squall, but none came. "I guess this was a low blow to me," she continued. "My entire life's been nothing but success after success. I joined SeeD when I was fifteen – the youngest out there – and after two years I applied for my instructor's license." She glanced down at her fingers, which had ceased their tapping by then. "It's barely been a year since I got it. I don't even think I can blame Seifer, because he's had three different instructors during his attempts at the Field Exam and all three attempts have resulted in failure.

"I would like to know what it was I did so wrong," Quistis said quietly, frowning slightly. "But I guess it doesn't matter now. Even though I tried my best, it just wasn't…"

She trailed off as she attempted to catch a glimpse of Squall, only to find that he'd turned his back on her, apparently uninterested in what she had to say. Her disappointment in herself dissolved into outrage at his callous actions. How dare he have the gall to just turn away from her like that. "Are you even listening?" She asked incredulously.

Squall inclined his head in what was obviously a sigh before he turned, his back facing the Garden as he leaned against the balcony, his arms resting against the railing by the elbows. "I don't want to talk about it," he said bluntly.

Quistis gawked at him for a moment as he continued. "I have enough on my plate without having to figure out what to say about other people's problems."

"I don't want you to _say_ anything," Quistis protested. "I just want you to listen."

"Then go talk to a wall."

To Quistis the words were like a slap in the face and the tone made the power behind them even crueller sounding. Blinking back bitter tears, she balled her hands into fists at her side, having abandoned her post at the balcony. A moment passed where the words were left to echo in the air before she finally spoke. "Isn't there…" she started before taking in a soothing breath in an attempt to calm herself, "Aren't there times when you need to talk to someone?" She finally got out. "Where you want to share with other people how you're feeling?"

_How could one person be so damned cold?_ She thought to herself. Of course she'd known he was always one to stand apart, he had a natural tendency to generate a standoff. But to just completely disregard her concerns about her future like that was horrible. She bit her lip, acutely aware that their discussion was beginning to draw unwanted attention.

"No."

The answer was simple, and yet there seemed to be so much left unsaid that Quistis wasn't entirely certain that was his answer.

Moving away from the post, he folded his arms across his chest. "Everyone has to look after themselves eventually. They can't depend on other people being there for emotional support at their convenience."

Quistis raised an eyebrow, wondering how those words could sound so morbid, especially coming from him. Squall seemed to realize what he'd said because he sighed and made to move towards the exit. "I have too much to worry about for myself to take on other people's problems. It's late. I'm going to bed."

And with that, he left her behind, wondering if the Garden Faculty really had been right after all.


	13. Chapter XII: So We Meet Again

**Edited: **_01/27/09_

**Edited: **_05/23/10_

* * *

**Chapter XII:  
So We Meet Again...**

* * *

The walk from the Secret Area was silent. Neither Quistis nor Squall opted to break through it and it hung like a barrier between the pair, almost permeating the humid air surrounding them. This was completely fine in his mind, because he didn't really feel the need or desire to listen to her lament about what had happened to her. He'd been honest in his sentiment, he really did have his own problems to deal with and he hated how everyone else around him expected him to simply drop his own baggage and take on the weight of another's. It wasn't any of his business and he would be damned if anyone tried to make it so.

He had been cold and blunt back in the Secret Area. In truth, he knew he'd hurt the former instructor's feelings when he'd said those things but he most definitely was not sorry, not for what he'd said or how he'd said it. What was he supposed to do about her license being revoked, or the things the Garden Faculty had said? Was he just supposed to pick up the pieces and tell her that everything was going to be okay? Was he supposed to hold her hand as she let it all out when he really couldn't care less?

No, the way he had handled the situation was for the best. He couldn't know for sure that things would truly be alright for her. Reassuring someone of something that he didn't necessary believe in was foolhardy and waste of his time. In the end, Quistis would simply have to accept the Garden's decision, regardless of her feelings on the matter. These things happened to everyone, and there was no use moaning or groaning about. At least she was still welcome in the Garden, at least she'd still maintained her SeeDship. The figureheads could have just as easily removed her from the Garden without so much as a warning, but they hadn't. She should consider herself lucky in that respect.

He supposed he could have pointed that fact out, but in all honesty he doubted it would have made much of a difference. She _still_ would have been fired, she _still_ would have become a field operative once again and really there was no changing that. So why talk about it? Why even bother?

Upon leaving the Secret Area, they had taken the Intermediate path – it was easier to avoid Grats than it was T-Rexaurs in the end. The pair had maintained a steady pace ever since starting their return trip, crossing over the curving road comprised of metal, the surrounding sounds that imitated a jungle permeating throughout the trees and brush that surrounded them on all sides. Broken logs that had been knocked down by the monsters in the Training Centre littered their path over a metal plate positioned over a gaping hole in the floor, more than likely a pit trap of some sort. It wasn't uncommon for students or SeeD members to utilize the environment like they would the real habitat and that included laying traps for the roaming monsters.

They were just about halfway down the road when they heard someone cry out for help further ahead. The pair stopped at the sound, only to hear it again. Squall frowned in contemplation. The voice was familiar, belonging to a female but before he could muse anymore on the subject, Quistis turned on him. Perhaps she had given up on the silent treatment and was opting to speak to him again, though Squall was almost entirely certain it was due to the girl in distress. "C'mon, Squall!"

With that, she sped off towards the source of the sound, Squall close behind as leaves and twigs crunched beneath boot clad feet. They sped along the road, the sounds of pleading growing loud and louder and it was soon that the SeeD realized that it was coming from just outside the Training Centre. He was puzzled, because the razor wire and electric fences that surrounded the perimeter were supposed to prevent monsters from escaping. Not that it had worked in the past, what with the incident with the Caterchipillars earlier in the semester.

Nevertheless, they charged through the metal doors and easily spotted the girl, who screamed as she backed herself up against a railing beside the door leading into the Advanced side of the Training Centre. The giant wasp-like monster that buzzed above her looked as though primed to strike and it lashed out with its long tail-like stinger. The girl barely had the mindset to duck down and avoid the attack, but she was otherwise paralyzed by the fear its appearance caused. Squall wouldn't have been surprised if the monster was simply toying with her, attacking only when it thought she was attempting to escape.

But what did surprise him however was that he knew exactly who this girl was. The short brown hair, the clothes she wore, everything brought him back to the previous morning in the infirmary. It was the same girl, the one who had seemingly whispered something to him before leaving the room altogether.

The impression she'd given him from before remained unchanged. She most definitely was not a Garden student, especially judging by the way she reacted to the monster above. Anyone else would have drawn their weapon or attempted to blast it away with magic. She appeared to be unarmed, and the thought of her being a combat specialist like Zell was almost laughable.

The girl looked over and spotted both SeeDs as they ran towards the Granaldo and she focused her whole attention on them, her expression pleading betraying her panic and fear. "Squall!"

He wondered briefly how the hell she knew his name when he had never before seen her. If he was recalling correctly, she'd seemed to know it in the infirmary as well. She took no heed of his mental musings as she continued to call out to them. "Squall! Quisty!"

Squall caught the flicker of shock and surprise that formed in the former instructor's features. He didn't doubt that the same questions that were running through his head were now mirrored in her own, but the Granaldo seemed to have tired of its games and wasn't about to wait for their interference. It reared back up and charged forward, aiming to kill with its stinger. Squall was quicker. He drew his weapon and charged forward, intercepting the attack and holding it off with the flat side of his gunblade, having barely managed to step in front of the girl in time.

The stinger collided with the metal of the blade with such a force that Squall was backwards, the crunch of dirt skidding as he was pushed towards the railing. The girl, for her part, at least had the mindset to move out of the way, though she still seemed stricken with her fear. Gritting his teeth, Squall forced himself to stand, knowing that this tactic was risky. Had he chosen to push up and force the monster back, he knew it would have gone after the girl again, already seen as the weaker threat. At least now he was the sole focus of its attention.

He caught movement from behind the Granaldo and watched as Quistis gestured for the girl to move away from him and out of the line of sight of the monster. But it was at the same moment that the Granaldo won the fight of strength, overpowering Squall and forcing him down on one knee as it added its weight upon the gunblade. But then the weight was shifted almost causing Squall to lose his balance and thus he was unable to prepare himself with the tail came flying from the left, sending him into the ground towards the door he and Quistis had emerged. He rolled once before landing on his stomach.

Pushing himself up onto all fours, he looked up in time to watch as the Granaldo advanced upon him. Thinking grimly that at least it's attention was on him, Squall sprung himself up onto his knees and, gunblade still in hand, he brought his weapon up once again, causing the stinger to collide with the flat side of the blade once more instead of into him. Squall didn't stay this way however, knowing another fight of strength would prove him to be the loser. Instead, he ducked down and rolled out of the way as the Granaldo rushed down to slash at his head with its clawed insectile feet. Finished conducting the roll, Squall paused again, holding the weapon up to fend off another sting attack and, this time, he propelled himself forward, landing behind the Granaldo.

A startled shout stole his attention and he looked back, frowning when he spotted the cause. In the confusion of distracting the flying creature, Squall had assumed Quistis had taken the girl to safety, but it seemed that was not the case though not for a lack of trying it would seem. Two smaller hunched-back monsters that gave Squall the impression that they were oversized moles were baring the path out of the Training Centre. While the other girl cowered behind, Quistis snapped her chain whip into the air threateningly in front of her in an attempting to scare them off, but the Raldos didn't appear to be the least bit intimidated. In fact, one of the pair charged forward and swiped at the former instructor. Had she not had the mindset to move out of the way, the attack would have landed and she would have been back-handed into the ground.

A loud screech brought his attention back to his own predicament and Squall was forced to duck down, just very narrowly dodging the monster's tail. The stinger hit the ground just inches away from his head and the SeeD decided that it was a mistake he was not about to repeat. Weapon in hand, Squall slashed hoping the blade would bite into its exposed tail but the Granaldo appeared smarter than that, withdrawing the appendage behind it and rising up and out of range. He tried again, swinging the weapon like a child would a bat at a piñata, only to miss his target once again. He was force to abort his third attempt when the Granaldo charged forward and attempting to rend him with its clawed hands and feet. He very narrowly dodged out of the line of fire in time.

Thoughts turned back in time to when his squad during the Field exam had been forced to contend with the wind monster on the Communication's tower, making him feel as helpless now as he had been then. The monster was far too agile and small to be able to launch up onto and strike accordingly. His only hope would be to pin the tail down and hope it would hold long enough for him to finish the job but again it was far too quick. And at the rate he was going, he would tire out way before the Granaldo and one misstep would be the end of the fight.

"Squall!"

Squall rolled out of the way of another swipe before directing his attention towards the sound. Quistis was backing up and away from the Raldos, the girl almost clinging on her back, her whip cracking through the air menacingly, but it seemed to have no effect. In fact, the Raldos seemed to have closed the gap since the last time he'd spotted them. He knew from having watched her fight that close quartered battles left Quistis at a disadvantage. With the whip, the former instructor was more proficient at medium range or with attacks from afar.

He caught her eye and she seemed to realize she had his attention. "Switch!"

Squall nodded, instantly getting the idea and he forced himself up onto his feet. "Handle the Granaldo, I'll handle the Raldos."

Quistis nodded once and both SeeDs sprang into action. Without allowing her back to show to the enemy, Quistis continued to snap her whip in an attempt to keep the monsters at bay while Squall backed up and out of the range of the Granaldo, who was steadily closing the distance. The pair then stood back to back, the strange girl from the infirmary almost sandwiched between them and, with a skill and motion that could not be choreographed, the pair swapped places, revolving around the girl so quickly she appeared to be momentarily confused. It was just as the monsters reached them that the SeeDs charged forward to attack.

The former instructor threw her whip out into the air, the blade at the very end snapping out above the Granaldo's head and seemingly startling it. It roared almost as though offended and stopped its charged, momentarily puzzled by the shift in prey. Squall charged into melee range of the two Raldos, already knowing he was going to have a hard time of it. The girl between him and Quistis wasn't going to be much help as she could barely stand. Quistis seemed to have gotten the idea to keep her between them and he would have to do his best to mirror the tactic. Hopefully they would provide adequate defence.

One of the Raldos lunged at him during his charge. Acting quickly, Squall brought up the gunblade and swung, knocking the monster back before raising the bladed weapon above his head and swinging downward, striking its pair. It bit through the tough outer shell of the monster and, concentrating very hard, he pushed his spell down through his arms and into the blade before pulling the trigger once. The shot reverberated throughout the area and the girl behind him shrieked in fear at the sound. The Raldo jumped, an action that was caused from the vibration, prying itself free of the bladed weapon. Squall watched, blade held at the ready as it swooned almost drunkenly before slumping against the ground. Its arms and legs were spread as it lay on its belly, but it did not rise again.

The sight itself was proof enough that his plan had worked. The slash by itself was far too shallow to have been a factor, even as it was steadily bleeding. Silently, he patted himself on the back for having managed to put the monster to sleep before turning his attention towards the other Raldo.

Who seemed to have taken advantage of the SeeD's distraction, because it lunged at him from the side and knocked him down into the ground – and away from the girl he was helping to protect. He hit the ground with a thud as the girl screamed again, pinned down by the Raldo that was now attempting to finish him off. Squall brought his weapon up and blocked the slash that would have connected with his face otherwise. It continued to slash, but Squall kept the guard up before shifting the weight in his arms and forcing the Raldo up. It made a screech that betrayed its displeasure at its balance being removed before Squall forced it over his head, turning marginally to see it hit the ground behind him with a hard thud. Still, the SeeD wasted no time rising to his feet, weapon still in hand as it flipped itself back up onto its feet before charging forward on all fours back towards him. Despite the defensive stance he took, Squall was still knocked back, hitting the ground hard and momentarily dazing him. He had the mindset to bring up his weapon, which was seemingly glued to hand by this point, to his defence. Again he found himself pinned beneath the smaller monster.

As he wrestled with the little monster, he caught sight of the girl he and Quistis was trying to protect. She stood almost paralyzed at the sight, her hands clasped over her mouth as her eyes betrayed her concern and her fear. Refusing to die here, especially after everything he'd gone through in the last two days already, Squall found the strength needed to push the monster back once more, sending it sprawling along the ground before them. Not waiting for it to recover this time, Squall thrust his arms forward, concentrating on the cold knowing this monster was particularly weak against it. He pushed as much energy into the spell as he could form before sending it out in front of him willing it to strike the Raldo.

The blast of ice that protruded from his fingers spread forward, chilling the air enough for him to see his breath as it race towards its target. The Raldo was just recovering as the ground became blanketed by the element and, seconds later, spears protruded from the floor, one of them impaling the Raldo where it stood. But the ice receded into magical particles, taking the ice spear with it. It's disappearance caused the monster to land with a sickening _squelch_ and blood began to pool around the body, staining the ground beneath its form.

Squall stared at the monster before turning his attention towards his hand, knowing he'd never been able to conjure that strong a spell before. He'd always managed to cast Blizzard, but that was the more powerful Blizzara spell. He hadn't thought himself capable of the feat. He had always assumed it took years of practice to utilize second and third level magic spells.

Relieved that the fight was over, Squall was momentarily taken unawares when a warning shout came from the girl behind him. When Squall turned to investigate, he was tackled once again from the side as the second Raldo – having awoken from its nap – collided into him, pinning him to the ground. Fortunately, while Squall's right arm was pinned to his side, he'd brought up his left arm just in time to prevent himself from becoming completely helpless. The Raldo slashed almost haphazardly, the SeeD barely able to avoid being cut into by pressing his face against the ground beneath him. It helped that Squall's left arm was brought up in defense, keeping the attacks at bay all the more.

He spotted the Revolver close by, having been knocked out of his hands for the first time the entire fight. He reached over it, giving the monster the means of reaching closer still, and clasped it clumsily. Naturally right-handed, his grip was awkward but he was barely able to manage a swing from the side. Swinging hard, he was able to hit the monster on the soft spot on its neck.

The blow didn't hit in the manner that Squall had expected it to. Instead of the sharp bladed part biting into the skin, the SeeD had hit the monster with the hilt, his hand tightly around it. Despite it being its soft spot, it still hurt and Squall grit his teeth as he repeated the action, trying to force the monster off and make a proper strike. It took three tries before he saw any result and the monster was pushed to the right back a little, the weight of the creature shifting from his stomach to his side.

With enough distance between them, Squall swung once more. This time the blade made purchase into the monster's flesh and the Raldo cried out in its pain as the blade bit. His right hand free, he clasped the weapon with both hands and pulled on the trigger in rapid succession. He could feel the Raldo jerk with each pull of the trigger as the blade vibrated. By the third time, the back of the Raldo's head exploded, staining its ichor along the ground behind it. By the fifth time, the Raldo had stopped moving on its own.

Squall pushed the warm body off of him, hearing the squelching noise it made when it hit the earth and grimacing slightly because of it. Checking his right arm to make sure it was okay, he turned around in order to help Quistis with the Granaldo, despite knowing he wouldn't be able to offer much in the way of assistance.

However, she didn't need his help at all. From the angle he was at, he saw the former instructor standing in front of the Granaldo, who was being bombarded by flying bullets that caused it to jerk with each connection. When the gunfire ceased, the Granaldo fell to the ground, just out of reach of the water that passed into the fountains outside, but did not stir as green blood oozed out of the wounds.

The sight took Squall by surprise as he knew Quistis didn't normally carry a submachine gun. Like all SeeD members when they are inaugurated (unless they specialized in automated armaments), the only fire arms she possessed was the 9mm she was issued upon SeeDship. That could only mean the attack was a result of the Blue Magic she had told him about earlier, but that didn't make much sense either since he knew monsters sure as hell didn't pack any weapons. Guns were a man-made skill.

Shaking his head and trying not to think about it, he opted not to question her about it at all as she turned around to regard them. There was a momentary flicker of shock that crossed her features, one that Squall interpreted as surprise that he had finished before she had. But the expression was wiped from her features and she turned to regard the girl they had rescued, her features neutral as she strode towards her. More than likely she was preparing a reprimand, because students were only allowed within the Training Centre with an instructor or support, unless they could prove they didn't need the assistance, but civilians were wholly forbidden from entering the grounds. This girl had some explaining to do.

But before she could even begin to lay into this girl, two men dressed in strange white uniforms appeared from behind them. They manoeuvred around both Squall and Quistis before dropping down to inspect the girl, who had fallen onto her knees at some point during the fighting. She continued to stare at the Granaldo's lifeless form, almost as though terrified it would spring back to life and eat her if she moved even just a little bit.

But she didn't simply just look afraid. There was something else in her gaze as she took in the sight of the white clad men. He couldn't put his figure on it, but thought the closest thing might have been guilt. Were they her bodyguards? If so, then Squall guessed they were bad at their jobs if they'd allowed her to lose them as she had.

"As we have said dozens of times before," one of them spoke sternly, though respectfully, "It's far too dangerous for you to be in the Training Center, especially on your own."

The girl frowned, almost wanting to say something, but for some reason she didn't, settling on a silence that was more than just a little awkward. Squall and Quistis exchanged glances between one another as the other man bowed slightly in their direction. "We apologize for the inconvenience and we understand that is against Garden rules to enter the Training Center if not properly trained to do so. Thank you for finding her and it will not happen again."

The last bit was said as the man gave a meaningful look to the girl. She averted his eyes, but still said nothing.

"Please," the first man said, as though he was addressing some official. "Let's go."

Finally, the girl did speak, though she did so hesitantly, with some reluctance. "…Alright."

She allowed the man closest to her to help her stand and they left the Training Center, though the girl tried to break away once, looking back at Quistis and Squall as she was guided down the hall. She was unsuccessful and, with the two men at either side, she was gone.

"Who _was_ that?" Quistis asked after a moment's silence. She apparently was just as unnerved as he was about this girl. More to the point was how she could possibly know who they were when they'd never met her before.

"The girl from the infirmary," Squall answered simply. That was really all he knew.

When the instructor regarded him, suddenly. "_She_ was the one you were asking about?"

Squall nodded in response and Quistis turned her attention to the direction the girl and her guards had gone, seemingly thoughtful. Squall sighed aloud before speaking once again. "I don't know why, but she seemed to know me."

"And you've never seen her before the infirmary?" Quistis asked, to which Squall shook his head. "That's very odd. If this was the first time _either _of us saw her, it could be excused as her being a client. Most of our clientele come to the Graduation ball to meet with the Headmaster. But for her to know who we are, especially by name is disconcerting..."

"It's not any of our business," Squall shook off. There were just too many questions revolving around her to tackle them all at once, especially tonight. "If she's been here for this long already, the Headmaster must already know about it. He's probably got his reasons for not saying anything."

"Too true," Quistis said, before nodding, as though she were trying to convince herself.

With nothing more to do, they continued towards the exit and the silence that followed them was most uncomfortable. But when the flourishing surroundings shifted back into the metallic infiltration of the Garden hall, Quistis stopped suddenly, fixing Squall with a serious stare she usually reserved for students who had found themselves in trouble. "About what we talked about earlier," she said. From the tone in her voice, she still seemed to harbour some ill feelings towards his earlier response. "_No one_ can carry their own burdens on their shoulders. Not even you."

And with that, she walked away, not giving him a chance to argue. More out of spite than anything else, Squall called after her, "Says who?"

She did not respond.

Shaking his head, he sighed as he headed back to the dormitory. He was suddenly very tired. It was a sign that the adrenaline from the fight was slowly seeping out of him and he longed very much to get back to his room and collapse onto the bed. He made his way towards the hall leading to the dormitories, hoping that there were no further surprises that night.

Unfortunately, he caught sight of a familiar looking blonde in a SeeD uniform sitting on the steps that led up towards the dormitories. It looked as though he were waiting for someone to show up. Not really in the mood for idle chit chat, he attempted to move ahead, only to be spotted by the SeeD before he could get very far.

"Dude," Zell called as he rose to his feet and waited for Squall to approach him. After a moment, he did just that if only to get it over with. "Where the hell were you? You weren't supposed to leave the party yet. Been looking all over the place for you."

"Training Center," Squall said simply, resenting that Zell of all people was reprimanding him. He didn't feel the need to elaborate and thus chose not to.

"_Really_?" Zell asked, looking very confused. "I checked there first, but I didn't see you anywhere, man. Aw, whatever. 't's not important."

The brawler waved it off, and Squall arched an eyebrow, wondering why he had been looking for him in the first place. Zell unconsciously answered the unvoice question. "You missed some important announcements, man." He hesitated for the briefest of moments, seemingly debating on what he should say. That in itself was a bad thing, since Zell usually just blurted out what he needed to say. Finally, he appeared to settle on just that. "The Garden Faculty moved your stuff."

"What?" Squall said, and he was very aware that his tone had become threatening.

"Hey, I know you're pissed about that. No one touches your stuff, I get it," Zell held his hands up in defence, as though expected Squall to club him for the infraction. "No one expected it to happen either. Not sure anyone else who became a SeeD got their rooms packed for them, but there's nothing we can do about it now. Happened while everyone was in the Ballroom. The Garden Faculty was given access to our old dorms and moved our stuff for us into the new rooms while we celebrated. Headmaster Kramer said our new rooms had our student number on them, so it'd be easy to find. They changed the locks to the old dorms too, so if anyone ducked out early and missed the info, 'it'd serve them right', the assholes…"

Zell muttered a few more explicit words under his breath. Apparently he hadn't appreciated the invasion of privacy any more than Squall had. "Been looking for ya for the last two hours to tell ya that. Glad I caught ya before you decided to sleep out in the hall.

"Anyways, night. And congrats again," the brawler called out as he made his way back to his own dorm, his message delivered. Squall increased the pace he had set, almost rushing to his room. If the Garden Faculty broke any of his things, there was going to be hell to pay. For starters, he'd be billing them for the damages.

But when he found his room, and entered the new dorm – there was a piece of paper taped to the door that displayed the pin number – he found that everything was in order. There was a bed on the far left hand side just beside a window with blinds, a desk adjacent to the bed. His clothes had been hung up in the closet near the base of the bed, and his gunblade case rested against the wall beside the desk. All of his magazines – mostly the Battle Series, but some of them were Weapons' Monthly – were stacked neatly on the desk, a chair tucked into the space where it was obvious he would sit. A door that supposedly led to the adjacent bathroom was between the closet and the bed.

Squall spent the next five minutes inspecting his personal belongings, making sure that nothing was out of place or broken, but found that everything was in perfect order. His SeeD uniform was hanging on a coat hanger on a rack beside the bed, but the only thing he could find that was missing was his cadet uniform, but it was obvious he wouldn't need it anymore anyway.

Sighing, he removed his boots, switched his street clothes for his sleep wear and collapsed onto the bed as planned. Moments later, he fell asleep.


	14. Chapter XIII: The Mission

**Edited: **_02/01/09 __Enter the Timber Arc._

**Edited: **_05/23/10_

* * *

**Chapter XIII:**  
**The Mission**

* * *

Light leaked in through the blinds, making shadowy impressions upon the carpeted floor. The bottom half of the window, completely uncovered, brought the morning sunshine into the room, splashing gold light across the walls and filling a large portion of the room with its warmth. The desk was bare, save for a few magazines, but the room itself held the air that a well organized person was housed inside.

Said person was lying atop the bed sheets, dark hair laying haphazardly against the pillow his head was resting upon. His arms were hanging limply over his head, bent at the elbows to prevent knocking into the wall behind. Steel-blue eyes stared up at the ceiling as he heard birds chirping from the open window.

He couldn't believe just how bored he was.

Squall hadn't known what he'd expected once he'd achieved SeeD status. Obviously he'd have to be further trained – SeeDs were expected to be able to cast second level spells efficiently and, though he had made some progress since the incident in the Training Center, it was still a long road before he could cast it without thinking. He was actually quite certain that the Blizzara spell had been a fluke, as none of his current attempts had been nearly as successful.

Outside of that, because he no longer had any homework or assignments to take care of, all that was left was to retreat to theTrainingCenter, and even then that wasn't looking all that appealing anymore. He'd seen Zell still hanging around, just as Attention Deficient as ever, though he was no longer being tormented by Seifer. Zell had told him how he thought it was because the elder cadet had finally learned his place, but Squall knew differently. Because of the incident that had taken place in the Field Exam in Dollet, Seifer was probably in detention most of the time. He wouldn't have been surprised if his role as Disciplinary Committee Chair had been suspended until further notice if only to make a point.

Frankly, Squall couldn't understand why he hadn't been turned out of Garden by then. It was obvious by his actions that he was never going to make SeeD. Squall had always had an inkling of an idea why Seifer had always failed the Field Exam, though now that he had experienced it first hand, there was no reason to second guess himself anymore. The other male had a problem with authority, often shirked orders and responsibility, and damn well near got them all killed while trying to make himself look good.

But there was a voice in the back of his head that told him it couldn't have been near as bad as it had appeared, and a part of him couldn't help but agree. Seifer was seriously gifted and while his ego did tend to get in the way of things, there was no question that Seifer's behaviour and actions during the exam had been abnormal. He couldn't possibly have been showing off because of him, could he?

Squall scowled up at the ceiling. He knew damn well the world did not revolve around him, and there was no point in pitting the blame of Seifer's failure on himself. Fujin already did enough of that. Whenever he passed her by in the halls she gave him scathing looks and often kicked Raijin whenever he greeted him jovially. Squall gathered she was still upset that Seifer hadn't been made a SeeD, but that was hardly his fault.

From the looks of it, Fujin and Raijin weren't bothering Zell all that much with Seifer's absence and, thinking about it now, he couldn't possibly fathom anything the brawler would have done with the change in schedule. They had the day off of their new training, but Squall sure as hell didn't want to search the guy out in order to find out what he had planned. He was certain it had something to do with his mother, but he didn't really feel the need to confirm it.

Then there was Selphie. She'd spent the majority of the time – when they weren't training – trying to recruit members for the Garden Festival. Squall couldn't help feeling even a little sorry for her – most normal people would have given up after this long, but she seemed determined to find enough people so they could have a festival in the summer.

An idea came to mind, and he wrestled with it, trying to come up with reasons and excuses that would prevent him from going through with it. After a while of thinking, he found himself to be unsuccessful. His frown deepened at the thought of anyone catching wind of this so-called-brilliant idea, but he had no other alternative. Newly inaugurated SeeDs had to wait at least three months before given their first missions, and he was near his wits end trying to cope with the boredom.

Pulling himself up into a sitting position, he knew he had very little choice in the matter. It was either this or continue staring up at the ceiling all day. Sighing, he grabbed one of his discarded boots – left on the opposite side of the room as he'd tossed them onto the floor once the previous days training had been completed and, once he'd located a clean pair of socks, pulled the boots on over them.

It didn't take him very long to get dressed and when he looked out in the hallway, he discovered that there was no one around. Closing the door and locking it behind him, he wandered down the hall, knowing the miniscule SeeD would be found somewhere in the Quad.

Sure enough, he was right. Selphie was standing on the stage, wearing a short yellow sundress despite the fact it was just barely spring and, standing on the tips of her brown calf-high boots, was trying to pin something up to one of the planks above her. She was standing on top of a step ladder, and no one was around to spot her.

Knowing that an accident was just waiting to happen, Squall stood at the bottom of the stairs and watched her in silence, waiting for an appropriate time to interrupt her work so he wouldn't accidentally kill her. Then he started to wonder if anything should happen to her, would there be anyone willing to take up her post and would he still be as bored enough to do what he was about to do. He almost considered leaving altogether, except the inevitable finally happened. Selphie's foot slipped and she toppled from the stage, falling onto the ground right beside the stairs he had been standing in front of.

She groaned audibly, even as the thing she had been posting – some kind of poster – fell onto the top of the stairs behind the ladder, which had been knocked over when she fell. A second later, he was spotted – he realized it was too late to turn back now.

Pulling herself up, she leapt up onto the balls of her feet as she checked to make sure she wasn't seeing things. "Hey Squall..." She started tentatively, but her bouncy personality still shone through as she spoke. "I'm just putting up a poster advertising the Garden Festival." She pointed at the thing – now identifiable as a poster – lying on the ground. "I thought that since people hang out around here a lot – and I've seen a bunch of people hang around here – that if I advertised here they'd notice it more."

She suddenly tilted her head to the side, almost as though wanting to ask him what he was doing there before her eyes went wide and lit up. She started bouncing on her toes as she spoke. "Hey! Does this mean what I _think_ this means?"

Squall sighed. Now there was absolutely no getting out of this one. He'd already set things up. "I've been thinking about your offer at the Inauguration Party, and I've noticed how hard you're working on the Festival…"

He trailed off awkwardly, giving her the most intimidating expression he could muster despite his obvious embarrassment. "I swear if you tell _anyone_ about this, I _will _kill you."

Selphie didn't appear all too concerned about the threat. She launched herself onto Squall and wrapped her arms tightly around his throat, very nearly cutting off the circulation. Squall frowned and did not return the gesture, not wanting to encourage her. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, _thank you_!" She gushed, squeezing tighter with every 'thank you' she shouted before finally releasing him.

"Selphie," Squall strained, wanting her to understand his position, but Selphie waved him off.

"Don't worry about it. You're secret's safe with me. You're reputation of being the lone wolf won't be tarnished."

Squall stared at her critically and she winked at him. "I heard a lot about you when I first transferred to this Garden. You and Seifer are something of a legend around here."

Before he could get her to elaborate, however, he heard footfalls leading down towards the Quad. Squall braced himself for the obvious questions that were to ensue, but when he recognized the figure, he realized he wouldn't have to. It was one of the Garden Faculty. His uniform was trailing behind him with each step he took, almost giving off the impression he was gliding to them. He could tell Selphie was staring at him curiously, but Squall didn't return the look. He just frowned, wondering exactly what kind of infraction he was responsible for this time.

But as he continued down the steps, Squall recognized a two-way radio held in the Faculty's hand. He sounded like he was speaking into it.

"… Yes, I've found two of them." He cut off the transmission as he stalked towards them.

"Oh no," Selphie moaned. "Today's supposed to be our day off!"

The faculty member didn't seem to hear. He simply continued to their position before stopping in front of them. "SeeDs Tilmitt and Leonhart. You are to report to the Front Gate. The Headmaster shall meet you there."

And just as abruptly as he'd arrived, he turned his back on them and started heading up the stairs.

This time when Selphie looked at him curiously, Squall returned the gesture. What could the Headmaster possibly want with them?

* * *

A few minutes after they'd arrived at the Front Gate the Headmaster made his appearance, but they still had no idea what was going on. Apparently they were waiting for one more person to show up.

Selphie had taken a seat on the ground while Squall leaned against the wall with his arms folded in front of him, his gaze directed downward. Normally he wouldn't have been anywhere near as lax in front of the Headmaster, but even their leader shifted his weight from foot to foot with impatience and obvious boredom. Squall figured Headmaster Kramer wouldn't mind the infraction this one time. When the elder man hadn't said anything, he realized he'd been correct in his assumption.

"One more minute…" the Garden Faculty that was waiting with them said, tapping his foot impatiently.

Almost instantly after he said it, Squall heard a buzzing sound and turned his head in the direction it was coming from. Sure enough, Zell was barrelling towards them, gliding over the turnstiles and earning shouts of outrage from the guard stationed there. The brawler was riding on a T-Board, kind of a cross between a surf board and a skateboard, only it hovered using anti-gravitational technology instead of cutting through waves or grinding along the ground.

He manoeuvred around the Headmaster and circled the Garden Faculty once before gliding to a stop in front of them, tipping the board up and supporting it with his outstretched arm, the new arrival falling into a salute. He looked awkward with the board at his side, like some kind of surfer from the beach imitating a military official.

Headmaster Kramer appeared slightly perturbed by his tardiness, but all the while amused at such an entrance. The Garden Faculty – much less impressed – cleared his throat irritably, even as Zell turned to regard Selphie and Squall – waving at them slightly. Selphie stood up from the ground and Squall pushed himself away from the wall. Both of them moved closer to the group. Squall looked around, expecting to see the fourth graduate – he couldn't remember his name for the life of him – but couldn't see anyone else in sight.

"Sorry I'm late, sir," Zell said apologetically.

Before the Headmaster could say anything, the Garden Faculty cleared his throat again, gaining everyone's attention. "T-Boards are prohibited. By now you should know this."

The sheepish grin wiped itself from Zell's features as he cringed slightly. He'd obviously forgotten, despite it being a well known fact. Selphie giggled at his expense. "Oh crap…" Zell said, before throwing an apologetic look in Headmaster Kramer's direction. "Totally forgot. But this thing's really cool. It might come in handy one day."

"We'll be the judges of that," the Garden Faculty said curtly grabbing the two-way radio slung on his belt. He spoke into it briefly, received an affirmative and turned to regard Zell, his tone cold. "Until then…"

Almost miraculously, another Garden Faculty member arrived, charging past the turnstiles and headed straight towards them at a brisk pace. When he was close enough, the first Garden Faculty took hold of the T-board and held it out for the other member of staff to take. "Confiscate this."

Zell's expression fell at the declaration. It seemed he'd really thought the Faculty would have bought that excuse. Squall was more concerned at what he'd barely managed to see from beneath the Garden Faculty's sleeve. They had looked like fingers, but they were far too thin and pointed to have belonged to a human. It reminded him of the vines that protruded from a Grat and he frowned slightly, wondering what else the robes were hiding.

Still, despite Squall's mental musings or Zell's protests, the second Garden Faculty took the T-board and headed back towards the Garden, no doubt to place it in lock up. The first Garden Faculty cleared his throat, glaring at all three of them, almost as though he blamed Squall and Selphie as well. "All of you may be members of SeeD, but you are still residents at this Garden. Because of this, you are especially required to follow the rules and to set an example to your peers and the cadets of this Garden. Understood?"

To avoid a reprimand, Squall nodded in response, despite having never owned a T-Board in his life, nor having ever wanted to. Selphie nodded reluctantly as well, as did Zell before the Headmaster cleared his throat, and they diverted their attention to him.

"I suppose," he began, "you are all wondering why you have been summoned to meet me here. This is regarding a mission. You're first mission to be precise."

Zell goggled at the Headmaster, almost like he was expecting some kind of trick. Selphie's eyes widened and she looked from Headmaster Kramer to Zell and then to Squall. While he kept his features as blank as possible, he couldn't help wondering what this was all about. New SeeDs weren't sent out into the field for at least three months, and it had only been two weeks since the Field Exam. He also knew there were plenty of other more qualified SeeDs to send. And yet here they all stood.

He couldn't help but wonder why.

"All three of you," the Headmaster continued without interruption, "will be traveling to Timber. Originally the capital of the country with the same name, it was occupied completely by Galbadia, and thus has been reduced to a simple commuter train town.

"But I digress, each of you should have learned about this already, so I won't waste time reciting what you already know."

By the look on Selphie's face, she had not known about Timber's occupancy. Trabia had apparently failed to mention this, but she made no objection to skipping the information. She was probably planning to ask either Zell or Squall about it later.

Apparently oblivious to Selphie's confusion, the Headmaster continued. "In Timber, you shall be assisting a Resistance Faction known as the Forest Owls."

To Squall, the name made sense. Timber had originally been made up of forests until Galbadia occupied it. "You will take the train to Timber, where you will rendezvous with a member of the faction, who will await your arrival near the train station."

"This next part is important," interrupted the Garden Faculty, and Cid fixed him with a look. "The faction member will approach you and speak in a coded. Likewise, you must respond with the code that will tell them, and only them, your identity and purpose in the town. Obviously you will not expose yourself to anyone but the client. Because of the nature of this operation, your SeeD uniforms will be unnecessary. You are to go in street clothes in order to blend in with the surroundings."

"The code they will be using is simple," the Headmaster intercepted when the Garden Faculty took a breath. "When they approach you, they will say 'the Forests of Timber sure have changed,' at which time, you are to respond 'but the owls are still around.' It is very simple, as it encompasses their faction name, but this must be done casually, so as not to draw any attention.

"From there, all you need do is follow the faction's orders, and achieve their goal."

Squall frowned. He had at least expected additional support for their first mission but it seemed unlikely they were to receive it. Zell appeared to have thought along the same lines. "It's… just the three of us?"

Headmaster Kramer nodded gravely, but it was the Garden Faculty who answered. "Because of the low paymentGardenhas received in accordance to the contract, we will be limiting our resources to them. Normally, such a request would not have even drawn our attention, but do to _certain circumstances_ out of our control," he seemed to be glaring at the Headmaster through the veil that covered his face, "we had little choice."

"But that is irrelevant. What's done is done," the Headmaster waved off with no sign of remorse. "You will be further briefed by the faction once you have met with them. Squall is the Squad leader," he nodded in Squall's direction, "and it is your job," he indicated towards Selphie and Zell, "to support him and to give your all to carry out the faction's orders."

"You are dismissed," the Garden Faculty added curtly as he left to return to the Garden.

"Guess I'll go pack…" Zell said awkwardly. Selphie looked like she was thinking along the same lines.

"We meet in front of the Garage in thirty then," Squall said, and when both Selphie and Zell nodded, all three of them moved to follow the Faculty.

"Oh, Squall," the Headmaster's voice sounded from behind, directing his attention back to him. The sound of footfalls stopped and he could tell the others had done the same. "I'd like a private word with you before you get ready."

Squall turned to look back and saw both Zell and Selphie had, indeed, stopped walking. He nodded at them and both of them resumed their walk, knowing he would still meet them at the allotted time.

"First," the Headmaster said, his hands clasped behind his back as usual, "I feel I must apologize as to the manner of this mission. Under normal circumstances, there would be at least one experienced SeeD accompanying your team, regardless of the frivolities this mission may or may not be comprised of. The Garden Faculty is correct to say that the shortage of SeeD members is due to the lack of funds the Garden has received.

"Also, because the three of you have not yet completed your advanced training, it is imperative that you practice at any given moment that becomes available to you, and to utilize what you have already learned in the field."

Squall nodded in response, though he didn't understand why the Headmaster felt the need to tell him any of this.

"Now I know you have some preparations to take care of before you set off to town," the Headmaster continued as he pulled his arms out from behind him, "so I will make this short."

He revealed his hands, and Squall saw an old oil lamp covered in a pale-white blanket in the Headmaster's right hand. When his arms were in front of him, he held the object with both hands as he spoke, "I want you to have this. Don't touch it…" he said as Squall reached out to grab the handle, "make sure that the blanket is between your hand – be it gloved or not – and the lamp at all times. It is a cursed item. Presently, we've no idea what would happen should anybody handle it, so it is better to be safe rather than sorry."

_If it's cursed, why are you giving it to me?_ Squall thought.

The Headmaster seemed to know what he was thinking because he smiled broadly at him. "Though it is cursed, I believe if someone with enough power were to use it, then it would be of great assistance."

Holding the lamp with the blanket wrapped around it, Squall tried to look for any indication that this item was worth more than just holding oil. He couldn't find any. It looked like an ordinary lamp to him.

Still, the Headmaster smiled as he walked past Squall back into the Garden and said, "Best of luck on your mission."

* * *

Despite being held back by the Headmaster, Squall was able to meet with Selphie and Zell in front of the Garage right on time. Once they were sure they had everything, they piled into a Garden car and drove the distance to Balamb Town. The hike back to the Garden after the Field Exam was still fresh in everyone's mind, and it seemed that everyone was keen to get this mission started already. The Headmaster hadn't set a given time for them to depart, and Selphie figured the Squad leader assumed he meant for them to leave immediately.

As they rolled into town, they stopped near the city limits where a Garden worker was standing by. Selphie climbed out of the driver's side of the vehicle while the other two either stumbled or fell out of their seats and onto the pavement.

"Oh c'_mon_!" Selphie snapped, putting her hands on her hips after securing her traveling pack on her back. Only one of the straps was fastened over her shoulder. "It wasn't _that _bad!"

"You," Zell said, trembling as he lay on the ground, "are _never_ driving again."

Selphie frowned, folding her arms across her chest. Maybe she had a small and unusual penchant for speeding, and couldn't quite remember where to find the break. So she had hit a couple of potholes that had formed on the twisting road, and yeah she might have taken a few turns too sharply. She'd even go so far as to admit that driving off the road for a split second where they'd run over an unsuspecting Bite Bug (at least she hadn't gone into the nearby forest) had not been the best shortcut in hindsight. It didn't mean she was as terrible a driver as they were letting on.

The Garden worker seemed to survey the bumps and indentations that had obviously not been there prior to the drive, and Selphie rather resented it when he gave her an apprehensive look before climbing behind the steering wheel, closing all the doors that had been opened, and driving out of town, presumably to return the Garden car.

"Anyways," Selphie said, turning on the spot as Zell rose to his feet, "to the train station!"

"Actually…" Zell said kinda sheepishly. Squall and Selphie both turned to look at him. "I was kinda hopin' I could stop off by my house."

Squall raised an eyebrow. "Did you forget something?"

Zell shook his head as he waved his hand in a gesture that meant no. "Nothin' like that. Just figured I'd stop by and let Ma know I'll be gone for a few days. Didn't really get the chance to when I was packing."

"I don't mind the detour," Selphie said as she shrugged. "It means we get to meet Zell's mom."

"Don't take too long," Squall said, sounding like he was relenting. "We can't afford to waste much time."

"'Course!" Zell assured them.

The last time she'd been to town, it had been after the Field Exam. It wasn't something she exactly revelled in remembering. After all, Seifer had stolen their only means of transportation back to the Garden and they'd stayed at the Hotel overnight before hiking back to Garden at daybreak. Because of that, she hadn't had the opportunity to explore the town. Between her duties as the Garden Festival Chair and their extensive training as SeeD members, she hadn't had a chance to come back and look over the town properly.

From what she had seen, however, it looked really nice and cozy. The houses they passed by were round shaped and curved, like really big looking rocks, and they had stairs leading down to the entrances since the buildings were practically built from under the ground (which Selphie thought was really neat). They looked really small though, and Selphie guessed that either appearances were deceiving or large families were sharing rooms or sleeping on the floor (which wasn't so nice). She recognized the car rental shop they'd passed on the way out of town (and remembered how much she'd wished they'd had enough gil to rent one at the time).

Selphie wondered idly if they would be passing the Hotel along the way to Zell's house, but after walking three blocks from the edge of town, they reached a fork that split off in three directions, back towards the edge of town, straight ahead or right. The diminutive SeeD didn't have a chance to ask which way they were going because Zell led them towards a house near the edge of the sidewalk and headed down the stairs before Selphie realized they were there already.

The brawler withdrew a key from a chain he wore around his neck and, after putting it in the lock and turning it marginally, he pushed the door open – it didn't slide open automatically like the doors in Garden which surprised Selphie since her whole life she'd been surrounded by them. Selphie and Squall followed Zell inside when he gestured for them to do so.

Inside it looked way bigger than the modest appearance presented from the outside. The floor in the front hall – a wider space than most hallways – was completely carpeted, and a tiny looking kitchen alcove stood to their immediate left. At the far end of the hall was an open archway leading into the next room.

But they weren't alone as they stood in the hallway. There was a plump looking woman with long dark brown hair talking to a younger looking woman with short black hair. Both were dressed modestly. The elder woman wore a white shirt, brown skirt and a white cooking apron over the latter, while the younger woman wore a blue sweater and a pair of jeans that matched the colour of her shirt.

Selphie couldn't understand why they were wearing sleeves in this kind of weather. Balamb was a much milder climate than Trabia, and she had roasted in her student uniform.

"…He's turning out like him more and more, everyday…" the younger woman was saying. "I just don't know what to do anymore."

"He'll grow out of it," the elder woman waved off. "He's still young, let him be a kid."

"But he's gotten into more trouble than…" the woman started, but cut herself off when she took sight of them. She indicated to the elder woman and she looked over and spotted them as well.

"Hey Ma!" Zell said, waving enthusiastically. "Talkin' about me?"

"As a matter of fact," the younger woman said before shaking her head. "Dylan's been acting like you even more nowadays."

"There's no problem with imitation," Zell said, scratching the back of his head. "It's the biggest form of flattery."

"Well that 'flattery' has been getting him into trouble."

"That's hardly Zell's fault, Amanda," the elder woman – Zell's mom – said. "Boys will be boys. You just have to learn to take it in stride."

She turned back to regard her son – Selphie wondered if Zell got his looks from his dad since his mom looked nothing like him. "Out and about, are you? Hope you're staying outta trouble."

It was only because of their mission that they hadn't stayed for very much longer than that. Zell had introduced Squall and Selphie as his friends and had told his mom he would be gone for a little while. In turn, Zell's mom, Molly Dincht, ("Please, call me 'Ma',' she'd said encouragingly) had introduced them to the Dincht's next door neighbour, Amanda Grey. Apparently, Amanda's son, Dylan, was at school, so they hadn't been able to meet him.

They'd left after saying goodbye to Ma, and had gone to the store to stock up on some items they figured they would need. Potions were the leading items, but Selphie had opted to buy a couple of snacks for herself, to eat while on the train. Unfortunately, Zell had opted to wait until _after_ she'd bought them to inform her that the ride would be about sixteen hours, and that the staff would probably come around with food for them later. So much for those chips and candy bars, but she guessed she could always save them for later.

Selphie had been curious about something since they'd been to Zell's house, and finally as they were nearing the train station, Selphie decided she just had to know. "So, what's up with that Dylan kid? Why does he imitate you?"

"Kinda looks up to me," Zell answered, grinning broadly. "Ma babysits him once in a while when Amanda has to work or run errands, and I help out during the weekends. 'S too much of a hassle to commute everyday so I just come home on Friday and go back to Garden on Sunday. Anyways, Dylan thinks I'm cool, so I guess what's why he acts the way he does."

"And gets in trouble by the sounds of it," Selphie grinned.

"Aw, well, you heard what Ma says. Boys'll be boys, right Squall?"

"Whatever," Squall said, but he didn't really sound like he was paying much attention. Zell didn't seem to care.

"What's your dad do?" Selphie asked brightly.

"Outta the picture," Zell commented, but there wasn't a single ounce of bitterness in his words. "Can't remember too much about him, but it's been just me and Ma for a while now."

According to Squall, Garden was footing the bill to Timber because it was a mission, but they'd have to find some means of transportation back. It was a good thing they got paid regularly, otherwise they'd probably be stranded somewhere in the boonys. Selphie had brought extra money along just in case they needed to rent a car or something – she didn't want to have to hike anywhere because they were strapped for cash. So they'd shown their identification cards to the officials at the station, received their tickets and had gone inside.

Selphie frowned slightly as they passed the official at the front gate, not knowing how to broach the subject about Timber without coming off as a complete idiot. Obviously she knew _where _it was geographically, and could point it out on a map, but her instructors in Trabia had skimmed the information on the town (or former country) in favour of focussing more on Galbadia, since they were the ones who got into the most skirmishes with Garden. All she really knew about Timber was from what the Headmaster had said. It was occupied by Galbadia, probably since the Sorceress War eighteen years ago. But this was the first time she'd ever heard anything about a resistance faction.

Then again, Balamb Garden was SeeD HQ, and SeeDs had been going at it with the Galbadians since forever. Selphie assumed the lack of knowledge was because of the Garden she grew up in.

When they reached the platform, Selphie gaped in awe at the train they were about to board. It was a sleek locomotive, a deep metallic blue that made it look even darker, and very long with windows along the side. The only trains she had ever seen in her life had been through pictures on the internet or in books. She'd never been this close to one before. She'd arrived in Balamb via a steam boat (which had also been totally cool, but not as cool as the train).

They boarded the train and had arrived into an empty compartment that led to the exits with a door on the right hand side that led into what Selphie assumed were the private cabins. As SeeD members, they got their own cabin in Balamb. Selphie couldn't wait to see what it looked like.

Before she knew it, the train was already beginning to pick up speed along the train tracks and climbed into the tunnel before they were descending. Selphie had always wondered how they were going to reach Timber – all the way on the western continent – by train from Balamb when the ocean surrounded them on all sides. Originally she had wanted to point out they would have to take a boat (which would have taken days), but had wanted to see how this would have played out, since Squall and Zell grew up here.

They had been surrounded by darkness for about fifteen minutes before Selphie noticed their surroundings got brighter. When she looked outside, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. The tunnel they were riding in was completely under water. She didn't know how deep exactly, but judging by the creatures she saw in the ocean's depths, she figured they would have to be pretty far below the surface. The tunnel no longer looked like it had been carved out of a mountain, but by glass or some really strong plastic, and she watched with a smile on her face as the train sped along the tracks. Sea creatures and monsters alike were swimming along oblivious to her gaze.

After about a minute of just watching them, Selphie couldn't contain her excitement and squealed loudly. "This is _sooo_ cool!" Not only was this her first train ride _ever_, but it was her first train ride _underwater_. She couldn't wait to tell her friends back in Trabia about this!

"I know, isn't it?" Zell asked with a toothy grin. "Transcontinental railroads rule, baby!"

The brawler pumped a fist into the air before moving to stand beside Selphie. She moved so that he could look out the window as well and he pointed so that her direction was fixed outside again. "The underwater tunnel's what makes it so awesome. Makes for a great view. It's made of a special plastic substance, even stronger than Plexiglas, but probably way more expensive. It's totally water resistant, thanks to the joists. Keeps the monsters out but keeps people, especially small kids who get bored easy, occupied."

"You sure know a lot about this stuff," Selphie said.

"Course," Zell nodded, slamming his fisted left hand into the palm of his right. "I know a lot about technical equipment like this. Don't get the best grades when it comes to classes, but when it comes to machines I can fix anything."

"So the tunnel runs from Balamb all the way to the main lands?" Selphie asked.

Zell nodded again. "Cool, huh?"

Selphie nodded enthusiastically, and when Zell repeated his question to Squall – he was leaning against the door of the train – he didn't look up from the papers he was reading (probably the mission specifics) when he said, "Sure."

Zell hung his head. "Guess you're not interested."

Squall didn't comment.

Selphie looked between the two and sighed, gaining their attention, knowing that it was either now or never if she wanted her question answered. "Um, the Headmaster wasn't exactly clear about Timber. I didn't know there were any Resistance Factions."

Zell stared at her like she was strange. "Didn't Trabia say anything about it?"

Selphie shook her head. "My instructors at the Garden glossed over it. I think they expect us to pick it up when we transfer to Balamb. So… what's it about?"

"Well, Timber was a small country to start off," Zell said with a shrug. "When compared to places like Galbadia or even Esthar, they weren't exactly huge politically, but it was one of the only places left on the western continent with a thriving forest surrounding them. They had the cleanest air too – even cleaner than Balamb, and we got a ton of forests and livestock around.

"But when the Sorceress War started, Timber and Dollet opted out. They didn't have armies or fleets that were strong enough to stand up to Sorceress Adel, but Galbadia needed more people in order to stand a chance – Galbadia's big, but not near as huge as Esthar was o'course – so they started occupying other countries and cities, as many as possible.

"Timber was one of 'em. The Timberians also had an army, but because they were so small, they didn't exactly have the numbers to take on the Galbadians, and eventually they were taken over. Deling decided to expand Timber's capital – now the only thing left of the country – and as a result, the forests were reduced exponentially. So the Timber people knew about twenty years ago was reduced to a small commuter town completely surrounded by trains. The clean air got covered up by the pollution, and the people lost their Timberians status and were forced to become Galbadian citizens.

"That's where the resistance factions come in, though pretty much everyone's sure they're just rumours. The fact that one of those groups contacted us either proves they exist or someone's trying to make a really un-cool joke. If they do exist though, and in the number the rumours are sayin', then it's possible that only a few of them are even active."

"That's everything?" Selphie asked. Zell nodded.

"At least everything we need to know until we get there," Zell added with another shrug.

"Thank you, Mr. Know-It-All Zell," Selphie heard Squall mutter from his corner.

However, Zell didn't seem to take offence. "No problem, Squall."

"Thanks Zell," Selphie said before heading over towards the door and peering inside of the glass. Everything beyond looked fuzzy. "How do we go in?"

"The ticket Squall has opens up that door," Zell explained. "There's a SeeD cabin and everything inside."

Selphie turned to look expectantly at Squall, who kept his gaze focused on the paper he was reading. After a second, she huffed in frustration, but she heard footfalls that signalled Zell was walking towards them. He stopped beside her and continued his staring. Selphie, catching on quickly, turned her attention back towards the Squad leader, watching him intently.

Another moment passed before Squall finally sighed and removed himself from his leaning stance. He walked past both Selphie and Zell, withdrawing the train ticket from his jacket pocket, and inserted it into a slim rectangular slot in the wall beside the door. The slot beeped for a moment before Squall finally said, "Okay, we can go inside now."

Almost instantly afterwards, the door swung open, and Selphie charged past the two males as she called out behind her, "I'm gonna go check out the front of the train!"

She stopped in the doorway for a moment and looked at Squall while grinning. "Thanks," she said as she giggled before whirling back around and running down the narrow hallway.

Beneath the line of windows was a ledge that Selphie could barely reach by standing on tip toes and she rested her arms along the top of it. She watched the fish and monsters pass her by, humming a tune she'd made up one day atTrabiaGardenwhen she was bored. If it was going to take at least sixteen hours to reach Timber, she might as well enjoy the ride.

* * *

"Whoa! _Dude!_ This is fucking _awesome!_" Zell exclaimed as he entered the cabin on the left hand side beyond the door.

Squall frowned slightly. The brawler was normally loud, but it was worse when he actually shouted. He wondered if there was any time in which Zell _wasn't _loud. Still, he followed Zell into the room, knowing Selphie would be able to find them if she wanted to.

He stopped just after passing the threshold. The room really was, for lack of a better word, awesome. It was fairly big for a train cabin, green blinds covering the windows, and there was a ledge on the right hand side with a plant situated in the furthest corner. Beneath the ledge was a white couch that curved from the middle of the room along the corner and to the other side, right next to the bunk bed on the opposite side. The floor was carpeted red, and the light fixture was actually a large tube of florescent bulbs that was shaped like a square overhead. It made the room glow a yellowish hue.

Zell was currently on the couch, bouncing on it continuously and landing on his rear each time. "This is sooo cool!" Zell commented.

Squall folded his arms across his chest and moved over towards the couch to sit down. Held against his right hand side was one of the folder's he'd been presented with upon receiving his status as Squad leader. "I'm glad you're so excited," he said sarcastically. What they needed to do was focus. Despite not having been in the field since the exam, their mission was still important.

Zell stopped bouncing on the couch and leaned forward, just as Squall put down his bag and continued to scan the reports. It was blissfully quiet for a second, before the brawler mercilessly broke it. "Hey Squall? What's with the old oil lamp?"

Squall looked up to see Zell pointing at the lamp that was sticking out of his bag. Frowning, he realized he should have closed it up. Zell was also kind of nosey. "Don't touch that," he said, for Zell was just about to reach forward and inspect it up close.

"Why not?" Zell asked. "Where'd you get it?"

"Headmaster Kramer gave it to me," Squall answered, going back to reading. "After he called me back."

"What'd he think you'd do with an oil lamp?" Zell asked, inspecting it from where he sat and keeping his hands behind his back. "There's no genie inside, is there?"

"What?" Squall asked, looking up at him in exasperation.

"There's this movie I saw a long time ago," Zell explained with a shrug, "where this really poor guy finds this old oil lamp, and when he rubs the side this genie came out and said he'd grant the kid three wishes. Man was that a mess," he shook his head. "O'course, in the end everything turned out good, but along the way things got screwed up. So… _is_ there a genie in there?"

"How should I know?" Squall asked irritably. "Last I checked, there's no such thing as a genie."

"Oh…" Zell looked somewhat disappointed by this piece of information. "So if there's no genie, how come I can't touch it?"

"Supposedly it's cursed."

Zell jumped up to his feet, almost knocking the bag over, but Squall managed to keep the bag balanced with his foot, even as Zell shouted, "What the hell would the Headmaster expect you to do with a cursed lamp?"

Squall shrugged. "He thought it might be helpful."

"Yeah, right," Zell snorted. "Maybe we should get that thing checked out. I know _I_ don't want any curses following me around."

"You're probably right," Squall said. "But don't you think I would have thought of that?"

Zell seemed to finally get the hint that Squall needed to read the files, because he didn't say anything after that. But five minutes later, the door slid open and he heard footfalls as someone entered the room. However, when Squall looked up, Selphie didn't look as bubbly as she had a few minutes prior. She appeared somewhat subdued and it looked like it was taking all her effort to keep her eyes open. "I don't feel so good…" she said, rubbing at her eyes.

"You should probably get some rest if you're tired," Squall suggested, turning a page over. It was her first trip on a train and it was possible that she could be suffering motion sickness. He'd just have to hope that she recovered enough when they arrived in Timber. "You'll need to be in top shape."

"I'm kinda…tired…" Selphie said as she moved over towards the couch. Promptly after reaching it, she fell on top of the end, curled into fetal position, and didn't move after that.

"Are you okay?" Squall asked, looking up at her. When she didn't respond, Zell checked on her, and when he finished, he looked up at Squall and shrugged.

"She's asleep."

"Must've been _really_ tired," Squall commented.

"No real reason to wake her up, I guess," Zell said as he rose to his feet. "Gonna go take a look aro-"

The brawler cut himself off in mid sentence, and suddenly stumbled back, holding his head with his left hand. Squall instantly rose to his feet, the papers still gripped in his hand, even as Zell shook his head. "Whoa…" he said, shutting his eyes for a second before opening them again. "Somethin's wrong with me… I… feel…"

He yawned widely before collapsing back onto the couch, his arms draped over the sides and his neck resting against the back. Squall went over and checked on him, finding the brawler was still alive before backing away. This was most decidedly _not_ motion sickness after all. First Selphie, then Zell? It couldn't have been a coincidence.

Almost immediately after the thought had crossed his mind, Squall heard a strange low buzzing noise that seemed to fill the silent hum of the train. He gripped at his head as the noise sharpened and grew louder, a painful feeling formed between his temples, a pounding that felt like a hammer to the skull. He gritted his teeth and watched the world spin, his mind dancing as a nauseous feeling nearly overwhelmed him. The room spun even more and the next thing he knew, he was lying on his stomach. The only thing he could make out was the spiralling red carpet before his world faded to black...


	15. Chapter XIV: Enter Laguna Loire

**Edited: **_02/01/09_

**Edited: **_05/23/10_

* * *

**Chapter XIV:  
Enter Laguna Loire**

* * *

His head was pounding. He didn't know why or what from initially, but when he opened his eyes he saw a fast darkening sky rather than the ceiling of the train car he'd been in previously. He wondered fleetingly where he was before he realized he was rising to his feet of his own accord – without thought or pretence.

It was then that he suddenly remembered what had happened before he blanked out. Selphie and Zell had both collapsed from… something. He couldn't be too sure of what exactly. He'd heard a buzzing noise, before that nauseous feeling had set in and then he had found himself where he was presently. He was fairly sure that whatever it was that caused his teammates to collapse had caused him to follow suit.

"Where are you guys?" A voice very close by sounded and Squall tried to see who the speaker was before he came to a very disturbing conclusion.

He couldn't.

He didn't know why at first, but when he tried to turn this way and that to explore his surroundings, he found that he couldn't move. His head seemed to be fashioned in place, but he didn't feel any kind of restraint. When he tried to move his arm, it was pretty much the same – he couldn't. He even found that, when he tried to frown, his facial features stayed the same.

It was very disconcerting, and he couldn't fight that panic that was startled to bubble forth from not being in control.

"C'mon guys!" The voice shouted again and Squall was very dismayed to know he couldn't actually figure out who the speaker was. "This isn't very funny!"

It was then he realized he was moving again, his boots crunching the ground as though it were in the middle of the fall season. Squall didn't know why – winter had just finished and they were heading into an early spring. "Man, this is so not cool," he heard the voice mutter – almost as though it was very close to his ear – before the voice rose again. "You guy's can't ditch me! I'm the Company Commander!"

Squall didn't know what he was talking about. In SeeD, the leader of the troupe of SeeD members was always addressed as the 'Squad leader'. Company Commander was a title reserved for the army.

And there was only one army in the world that Squall was even vaguely familiar of.

The Galbadians.

Had he been caught? Were the others being held elsewhere? Why had his prison keeper allowed him to rise to his feet rather than kick him back down? So many questions began to flood in the teenager's head that he thought it would surely explode.

He checked out his surroundings as best he could, noting that he appeared to be in some kind of forest. The ground was wet – a sign of rain – and the sky was overcast – a definite change from what he'd last seen of it. Was it even possible for the weather to change _that_ drastically?

His instinctive answer was 'no', but thinking on it, the weather was subject to change like the flick of a light switch. Although very rare, he had heard of circumstances in which it looked almost mildly warm out before a freak snow-storm broke out (Squall blamed it on the ozone or something along those lines). But, this just didn't seem right to him.

Movement came from his left and surprisingly enough when he tried to locate the cause he was able to move his head in that direction. He found that he was even able to wander in that general direction in order to inspect the area, though somehow he suspected that it was not of his own accord. Squall was suddenly surprised to find that he was holding something heavy in his hands, like it was some kind of weapon (why would his capturers give him a weapon?). Without his permission, he stopped a few feet away from the bush and raised his weapon – an UMP sub-machine gun – and pointed it towards the hedging plant.

Nothing happened after a moment, but when that moment passed, the bush moved again.

He shot at it, wondering why the enemy would be stupid enough to give him such a powerful and admittedly old weapon. But amazingly enough, the bush _moved,_ the bullet belting into the tree that was behind it a moment ago.

As soon as the action took place, Squall immediately recognized the creature as a Grat. The soldier apparently didn't recognize it though. Squall heard him cursed loudly and then the SeeD started shooting at the creature – once again without his permission – but the bullets went wild and missed. The Grat breathed in deeply, and Squall realized with a wrenching feeling in his gut what was about to happen. As well as pollen, the Grat carried inside of its sack acidic poison and it was about to spit up on him.

That wasn't the only reason he was worried though. Because of whatever it was that was happening, Squall knew he wouldn't be able to dodge the attack because he couldn't move on his own accord. He was an unwilling spectator of this fight and there wasn't a thing he could do about it.

Or so he thought.

He felt his right arm move and realized his body was reaching for something strapped along his belt – it felt round with little bumps surrounding its circumference – but when he moved the object into his line of vision, he recognized it as an old pineapple grenade – the type that was used during the Galbadian war with Timber over twenty years ago.

When the grenade was close enough, he pulled at the pin positioned on top of the device and, as he spat out the pin, he tossed the grenade forward before jumping back and attempting to take cover.

The grenade detonated. Squall didn't know if it had taken the Grat with it or not – he hadn't actually had the chance to see where the explosive had landed – but the backlash of the explosion was strong enough to hurl him into the surrounding brush and into a nearby tree. He landed face first into the bark and slid to the ground before collapsing onto his back, breathing heavily. It had been close – the closest a Grat had ever been to actually killing him since he'd started training in the Garden.

It wasn't a pleasant feeling.

"Laguna!"

Squall found himself turning in the direction of the sound, wondering for the first time where the rest of his capturer's squad had gone. He supposed he hadn't bothered to think about it simply because he assumed they'd ditched him. The fact that he'd been too busy contemplating what the hell was happening to him became a factor as well.

He heard rustling nearby and when he rose into a sitting position (whereas he normally would have risen to his feet at the ready) he saw two other male figures approaching him through the trees. Both of them were wearing the same standard Galbadian uniforms of the militia – blue jumpsuits with metal armour protecting vital areas – though that was were the similarities ended. The one closest to him was a huge hulking figure, the helmet he was wearing blocked the majority of his face, but the SeeD could make out the end of a thick scar running down the left side of his face. The other had much darker skin from what he could see, and was shorter but leaner. He could make out long dark hair that was set apart into multitudes of long beaded braids along his back from beneath the helmet, but he'd never seen a soldier with that style from his limited experience of Galbadian soldiers.

The bigger man helped Squall to his feet, which surprised him since he should have been their captive. "Getting into trouble again, I see?"

Squall didn't know what this man was talking about, but still found that he was the one answering. However, up until this point, he hadn't quite realized that his voice was different than it usually sounded. "Only because you ditched me! It's against protocol to ditch your commanding officer. I coulda been _killed_."

"So you panicked and launched a grenade at one of the monsters," the darker skinned man stated neutrally. He folded his arms across his chest. "And probably alerted the whole Timber Army to our location. Nice one."

The man, Laguna, seemed to start a rebuttal, but stopped himself as Squall frowned thoughtfully (or tried to). Timber no longer had their own military since becoming occupied by the Galbadian Forces, but that was years ago. How could he possibly be where he was currently when he hadn't even been born yet?

_Did I somehow manage to travel back in time?_He wondered to himself before disregarding the thought. No. Time travel was impossible. Not even the Estharians had managed to figure that trick out, at least not before they disappeared near the end of the Sorceress War.

"Where _were_ you guys anyway?" Laguna asked for him.

"Taking a leak," the bigger guy answered with a verbal shrug. "What? We gotta ask permission to do _that_ too?"

"When we woke up, you were still asleep. We figured we'd go and wake you up when we came back, only we ran into monster troubles of our own," the darker man spoke as he shook his head. "We thought you'd be alright by yourself. Guess we assumed too much."

"Oh shut up," Laguna said as Squall brushed himself off. It wasn't that he felt the need to – he just couldn't control himself. "So now we gotta be on the lookout for the Timber soldiers as well? Man, this _sucks_."

"We might've received new orders during that little muck up," the dark skinned man said. "Maybe you should check…?"

Squall was curious about something – obviously he couldn't ask of course. If this Laguna character was their superior officer (though Hyne knew why), why weren't his subordinates addressing him as such? He knew it was standard protocol, but the fact that they were acting so casually didn't make much sense.

Nodding his head, he found himself walking again, and found that he was passing by a puddle. His head was positioned so that he was looking down, so he managed to catch a glimpse of his reflection – and was horrified when he did, because it wasn't his face he was looking at.

In the puddle's reflection, he saw that he was in the same Galbadian uniform as the other two, but unlike them, his helmet was missing. His hair was much longer than it had ever been in his life – falling just past his shoulders and into his face. His eyes were green instead of grey-blue. It sort of made sense why he couldn't move or anything of the like because it wasn't his body he was trying to control.

So where _was_ his body anyway?

After a few minutes of walking, he found that they were back in the clearing he had originally awoken in. With much less distractions than he'd had originally, he was able to discern that a tent was set up near where he had woken up, and some electronic equipment was set up to the right of the tent. Fire had been pitched close enough to the tent to keep warm, but not close enough to cause any damages, though the fire seemed to have been extinguished a while ago.

_They get points for _something, _I guess_.

He stopped in front of an old communications uplink, and Laguna fiddled with the equipment for a moment before he heard static through a set of speakers. Laguna continued to fiddle with the controls, and a voice sounded over the static. "Squad 7B, do you copy? Over."

"We copy, we copy," Laguna answered with a wave of his hand. A second later, he grabbed his discarded helmet and placed it over his head.

Squall wondered briefly if Laguna even realized they couldn't see him on the opposite side of the radio before the voice sounded again. "You're team has been relieved. Squad 9L has secured the next sector. Report back toDelingCityfor further orders. Over and out."

"Finally," the big guy said. "We've been here a whole month while they were fixin' positions."

"Yeah, well it shows how efficient the guys up top are," Laguna said. "Well, you heard the man. Let's haul out."

"One problem," the dark skinned male said. "Our army vehicle got trashed during a raid by the enemy. How exactly are we getting home?"

Laguna opened his mouth before snapping it shut. Squall assumed they'd have to walk it when Laguna opened his mouth again. "The section relieving our team shouldn't be too far from here. They should have brought an extra car – we reported the damages right after the Timberians retreated. It'll be fine."

"Just so long as you don't set off another grenade," the big guy said, though he was smiling as he spoke.

"Ah, shaddup already!" Laguna said, obviously harried.

* * *

After making contact with Squad 9L, they'd packed up their equipment (whatever they could carry that is) and moved out, with the assumption they'd be able to return and retrieve the rest of their equipment which was hidden in the foliage that surrounded their original post. They walked for a while after that – Squall couldn't exactly glance at a watch after all – but eventually the dark skinned man (Kiros was his name) announced that they were fairly close to the other section. Squall didn't know how much further they had to go but he had other concerns.

First and, most importantly in his opinion, how the hell had he managed to wake up as a Galbadian soldier fighting against a nation in a war that ended years ago? He wasn't that imaginative. There was no way he could have dreamt this up. There had to be a logical explanation.

Finally, they stopped, finding a clearing filled with a group of four Galbadians. Squall didn't know what else to expect, but they simply nodded their greeting – these ones were wearing their helmets – before gesturing to the extra vehicle. "Knew you'd get here soon enough." One of them commented, even as Kiros and the larger man – Ward – moved towards the armoured car. Laguna just seemed to stand there, and it reminded Squall, once again, that he was unable to move under his own power. "Well, there's your car."

"Thanks man," Laguna said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Knew you'd come through."

"You guys need to be more careful. The General's gonna hog tie you all for this. It'll probably come outta your pay."

Laguna winced. "Yeah, don't remind me. So I guess we'll be seein' ya."

The soldier nodded in response. The rest of his team was busy with keeping surveillance on the enemy. Laguna shrugged half-heartedly before heading to the car, and climbing into the driver's seat. He started the ignition and they headed out.

* * *

Nothing eventful took place during the ride. The monsters seemed to keep clear of the vehicle and whatever didn't became instant road kill. Twice Laguna ran over a couple of mushroom shaped monsters Squall identified as Funguars, and once they'd had to veer away from an oversized Ochu who had been ready to attack. Other than that, the drive was fairly quiet.

Soon, Squall could make out lights in the distance and figured that it was the Galbadian Capital, Deling City, named after the President (or dictator as most people would call him), Vinzer Deling. They passed into the city limits easily enough despite the high level of traffic. The hustle and bustle at that time of night didn't surprise the cadet, because he'd heard all about Deling City from the Garden. The city was nocturnal – alive during the night and slept during the day. He would have been more disturbed had there been less activity.

Laguna suddenly stopped the car and put it into park, and Squall realized in dismay that it just so happened to be in the middle of the road. Even as the elder man unbuckled his safety belt, Squall could hear the screech of tires behind them, followed by loud beeping noises. The drivers who had been blocked were practically leaning on the car horn by the level of noise there was. But Laguna didn't appear to care all that much.

"Uh, Laguna?" Ward asked tentatively when Laguna made no sign to remedy his mistake. "You do know you just parked in the middle of the road."

"That I do," Laguna said calmly.

"And you know you're blocking oncoming traffic, right?" Kiros added.

"Ah, don't worry about it," Laguna shrugged before climbing out of the car. "I'll deal with it. We're off duty as of now, so there's no need to worry about it."

"There is if we start getting hassled," Kiros pointed out, but was ignored.

Laguna stared at him for a moment and shrugged before moving towards the nearest Galbadian soldier. He was standing at the corner, appearing to be patrolling the streets for anything out of the ordinary. Squall figured the guy needed glasses if he couldn't see what was happening in front of him.

The Company Commander didn't seem to care though, because he simply walked over to the soldier, tapped him on the shoulder and, when he turned around, handed the man the car keys. "Be a pal and park that will ya?" Laguna asked, gesturing towards the army vehicle.

The guard stared at the car for a second before shifting his gaze to Laguna. "Park it yourself. Do I look like parking control?

"No, but I outrank you," Laguna said, pointing at his insignia. Judging by how long the soldier stared at it, Squall assumed that Laguna was right. "And I'm going off duty. So I'm asking you, _nicely_ might I add, to park the car for me."

"But I have orders…" the soldier began, but Laguna waved him off.

"I don't see anything out of the ordinary here," Laguna said, gesturing around him and seemingly ignoring the long line of cars that were honking excessively at him. One of the closest drivers flipped Laguna off. The solder whipped around in the direction of the vehicle and pointed at him as he raised his voice. "Hey! That's _not_ called for!"

Sighing, he shook his head as he directed his attention back towards the soldier. "So unmannered. Totally not cool. You might wanna hurry before they form a lynch mob."

Laguna patted the soldier on the shoulder before turning to walk away. "See ya!" He added as he moved across the street. A moment later, he heard a car engine roar to life and Squall assumed the soldier was doing as told.

"I can't believe you actually did that," Kiros said. "Didn't that happen to you right before we headed out?"

Laguna nodded his head. "And that's the guy who did it to me too."

"How could you know that?" Ward asked. "He was in uniform at the time."

"And the only reason he got away with it was because I was _out_ of uniform and had no proof that I outranked him," Laguna said and Squall could tell he was grinning. "But I did this time. And I recognized the number off his armour. It was definitely him."

"Childish," Kiros remarked, but Laguna waved it off.

"And anyways, we've got places to go."

Kiros and Ward exchanged glances before turning to look at Laguna once more. "The Deling City Hotel."

Laguna started for a second and Squall could tell that the pair were correct. "How'd you know that?"

"We go there _every_ time we're off duty," Kiros explained.

"Oh…" Laguna said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, it's time to get something to drink."

"Yeah, right," Ward snorted in disbelief. "Just drink your juice like a weenie."

Laguna gave Ward a sour look, and the bigger man added, almost as an afterthought, "and then stare at the piano lady."

"Her name is _Julia_, _not_ piano lady!" Laguna retorted hotly. After a second, he must have realized what he was saying before he cleared his throat indignantly. "And I don't stare at her. I space out, you guys know that."

"Nah, I'm pretty sure you stare at her," Kiros said. "I'm surprised she hasn't called you up on stalking her, seeing how often we go."

"I'm not stalking her!" Laguna said.

"You're right. You'd have to know where she lived in order to do that."

"Oh Shuddap," Laguna said in defeat, folding his arms across his chest. "But we'd better hurry."

"Yeah, we might miss her," Kiros smirked at the jab.

"No!" Laguna said. "I mean who knows how long until we get assigned another mission."

"That's true," Ward nodded. "If we gotta go, oh say… tonight… I don't wanna just charge into battle. I wanna get _smashed_ and _then _charge!"

* * *

The signs around the Deling City hotel were brightly lit. Squall could have pointed it out three blocks ahead had it not been for the other neon signs that surrounded the area. Inside was even brighter, with a chandelier lighting up the hallway and tingeing the walls yellow. There were two sets of stairs with red carpet – one leading up to the second floor, the other leading downstairs to what could presumably be called the bar – and an elevator located right behind the receptionist. She waved at the group as they passed through (_It has to be the uniforms,_ Squall thought to himself), and they made their way down the stairs.

The bar itself looked more like some kind of club; there were booths lined up along the left hand wall from where they entered and even some sectioned off in the very center of the room. A main bar was set up along the right hand side of the room, and in the back were more booths. It seemed a little classier than what would normally be considered a bar, but then again this wasDelingCityand it was part of the hotel. Squall guessed there had to be some level of aristocracy otherwise it wouldn't have been there.

Laguna made as though he were going to sit down, but he suddenly stopped. Squall was puzzled, wondering if there was something amiss that he wasn't aware of. Kiros seemed to think the same thing, because he nudged Laguna in the shoulder. "Hey, our seat's over there."

"You can't hear it?" Laguna asked, sounding as though the notion of such a thing was ridiculous. "You can't hear that faint buzzing sound."

If Squall could've moved on his own accord, his jaw would have dropped in his shock. That was the exact same sound he'd heard before he'd collapsed in the train car. Did that mean Laguna was about to collapse as well?

"Now that you mention it," Kiros said. "I've been hearing the same thing ever since we left Timber."

"Same here," Ward nodded in affirmation. "Thought I was crazy, so I didn't say nothin'."

"So…" Kiros asked. "Any idea what it is?"

"Faeries maybe?" Laguna asked and Squall felt slightly indignant. He was not a figment or some kind of fictional creature. He was a living, human being.

"I think we should talk about this later," Ward said, pointing at a waitress with long blonde hair tied into a braid. She was giving them strange looks.

"Yeah, I think you're right," Laguna nodded. "We'll figure out what it is later."

Laguna, Kiros and Ward were led to the booth closest to the stage, where a black grand piano sat in the very center. They all sat down around the table, Kiros and Ward slouching as they tried to relax. Ward and Kiros removed their military helmets and Squall saw more of their features. For instance, the scar he'd seen on Ward was revealed to run down the left side of his face starting right above his eye, though it looked as though no damage had come to the hulking man's vision. Kiros had cropped curly hair protecting his scalp, while Ward wore a blue bandana around his head, though Squall assumed the bigger man was bald.

He assumed that, like his comrades were doing, Laguna was relaxing from coming off duty, though from the way he kept looking over his shoulder Squall guessed he was keeping an eye out for this Julia person.

After about a minute, a waitress – wearing a white long sleeved shirt and a pair of black dress pants – approached the trio, her medium length brown hair tied back by a red ribbon. She smiled at them – it seemed they were regulars after all – before asking for their order. Everyone ordered the usual – whatever that was – and the woman left.

"Don't look behind you," Kiros whispered and Laguna immediately did the opposite before turning back around just as quickly. However, it was long enough for Squall to see exactly who it was.

It was a young and attractive woman, with short brown hair wearing a long red sleeveless dress. Her arms were covered up by red gloves, and she walked slowly up the stairs of the stage as the rest of the bar began to clap at her. It didn't take him long to realize that this must have been Julia. As soon as she was at the piano, she waved at the audience before taking her seat on the bench. A moment afterwards, she began to play, the music filling the room around them.

Squall wasn't an expert when it came to music and never claimed to be, but as soon as the woman hit the beginning notes of the song, he couldn't help but stop and listen, despite what was happening. It was a good tone, very easy on the ears and it sounded as though she'd been playing the piano for years now. The bar seemed to quiet down in order to listen and Squall honestly found that he couldn't blame them all that much.

"So," Kiros' voice cut into the music and Squall turned his attention back to the conversation. "You actually gonna do it tonight?"

"No way!" Laguna protested, shaking his head in response. "Can't you see she's busy?"

Kiros gave him a pointed looked. "You said you would. Don't go back on your word, Laguna. Just go up there, say hi, and then come back."

"It's not that difficult," Ward added, egging him on.

Laguna tried to argue, but no intelligible words came out, just a mess of indignant squawks. Finally he managed to get a few words out. "Gimme a break, okay? I just got off work."

"So you say," Ward said. "But we all know you'll do it."

Laguna hesitated, making a sort of whining sound before shaking his head and rising to his feet. As he turned his back on his comrades, Squall could see the look of shock on both Kiros and Wards faces, and that told him they hadn't actually expected him to go through with it. Squall hadn't thought so either, but then again he hadn't thought he would nearly miss out on the Field Exam that day. Prerequisite or not.

Laguna took small steps towards the stage and Squall suddenly felt very self conscious. He could tell all eyes had moved from Julia and were now placed on him, even if it wasn't really _him_ they were seeing. He continued over but suddenly stopped as he reached the base of the stage. He could somehow sense that Laguna was nervous, probably from being this close to this woman. Squall couldn't fault him, admitting to himself that Julia did appear to be easy on the eyes, though he would never admit it aloud. Maybe the idiot wasn't a complete idiot after all.

He moved up the steps, taking one at a time before he was standing a few feet away from the piano. Julia looked up for a minute from what she was doing but upon seeing someone actually standing in front of her, her face lit up as she smiled at him.

Laguna seemed content for about a second before Squall felt a spasm in his lower leg and hissed as a sharp pain ran up his left leg. Laguna must have felt it as well, because Squall could hear something akin to desperation in his thoughts when he realized that the leg was cramping up. Laguna grabbed at the appendage, rubbing at it, probably hoping it would stop, but that didn't seem to be happening any time soon. Laguna managed to limp around, looking like a buffoon as he did, which got some of the people, including Kiros and Ward, to start chuckling to themselves. Laguna looked back at Julia one last time before he sat back down, Squall mentally shaking his head as he did. _That… was sad._

Laguna plopped back down onto the couch, even as Julia was wrapping up one of her songs. He sighed, cursing himself mentally for having had that happen and his left leg was stretched out in front of him, an odd tingling sensation running up and down the limb. Squall could feel it faintly, but he guessed it must have been worse for Laguna, seeing as how it _was_ his body.

Still, Kiros patted Laguna on the shoulder. "Good work Laguna!" He even sounded impressed.

"Yeah, I have to admit, we didn't actually think you were gonna go for it!" Laguna looked around the bar as Ward spoke, and from what he could see, Squall caught some of the patrons staring at them and whispering occasionally. "That just raised our popularity up a notch!"

"Though I have to say," Kiros interjected. "The performance up there was kinda pitiful. I'd say you're about a minus three on the manliness scale."

"Oh…" Laguna said and winced as he moved his leg in indignation at his friend's teasing. "Just say whatever the hell you want!"

He just sat there for a moment before leaning forward against the chair. "But man, Julia sure is pretty. That was a new dress right?"

"You would know, Mr. Stalker," Ward laughed.

"Dammit, I told you, I'm _not_ stalking her." Laguna said, but cleared his throat afterwards. "It looks nice on her. Really suits her. Probably custom made too."

Kiros looked like he was about to say something, but cut himself off, looking behind Laguna. "Um…"

Ward spat out the beer he'd been drinking and wiped his face along the sleeve of his uniform. "Uh…"

Laguna's face faltered slightly. "Hey guys? What crawled up your ass and died?"

"We're gonna take off now," Kiros said, rising to his feet abruptly. Ward did the same and Laguna, with some difficulty because of his leg, followed suit.

"Hey! What's the rush?" Laguna asked. "I didn't look _that_ bad, did I? What about our drinks?" A sudden thought crossed his mind and he folded his arms across his chest. "You are _not_ stiffing me with the bill _again_, guys."

"Don't worry," Ward called out over his shoulder. "The tab's on us. Just enjoy yourself, Laguna. You've earned it."

Laguna called out to them again, but the both of them had already moved out of eyeshot. He slumped back into his seat, frowning slightly. Squall could tell he was wondering if he really _had_ been that bad up on the stage, but Squall didn't even think that. Kiros hadn't been about to leave until he'd seemed to see something behind Laguna.

"Uh," a feminine voice started, startling Laguna and jarring Squall out of his thoughts. "May I sit down?"

Laguna rose to his feet, about to let the girl have the booth to herself, but stopped and cried out in surprise. After a moment, he slapped his right hand over his mouth and stared wide eyed at the girl who stood in front of him.

It was Julia. At some point she must have finished with the piano and had come from behind him. Squall hadn't even heard her. Kiros and Ward must've seen her and decided to take their leave. After all, it was apparent Laguna really liked her.

Julia stared at him uncertainly and it was nearly another second before Laguna seemed to have realized just how badly he looked, standing awkwardly with a leg cramp and his hand covering his mouth. He removed his hand from his mouth and gestured right beside him as he struggled to shuffle over. It didn't help that the leg cramp had increased. "Uh, sure, of course you can! It's a free country, well as free as you can get in Deling, but free nonetheless."

Julia calmly sat down beside him and Laguna plopped back down onto the couch. "I'm sorry, have I interrupted something?"

"No, no, no! Not at all! They had to leave for… some…reason… didn't even have time to tell me why." Laguna laughed nervously and Squall mentally shook his head. _What in Hyne's name is this guy thinking?_

The woman gave him a look of concern. "Are you okay now?"

"Uh, yeah, kinda…" Laguna rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Kinda surprised me back there."

"How's your leg?" Julia asked.

At first, Laguna didn't know what she was talking about, but a slight twitch in the muscle reminded him of what happened a few minutes ago. "Oh this?" he gestured to the leg and Julia nodded in response. "Ah, don't worry about it. Happens all the time when I get nervous."

He coughed into his hand nervously and Squall would have slapped himself in the forehead if he could've.

"You were nervous?" Julia asked.

"Oh…" Laguna apparently hadn't expected to have said that aloud, and he grinned in embarrassment. "Yeah… I still am… kinda."

Julia sighed, moving a strand of her hair out from her face. "You don't have to be nervous around me. You can relax. Just think of me as any other girl."

Squall figured that somehow that wasn't going to work. "Oh, uh… sorry." Laguna mumbled. "I, uh, liked your song. The one you played on the… uh… whatcha call it?"

Julia laughed lightly. "Piano?"

"Yeah, that big thing." Laguna felt extremely stupid at that moment and Squall could not actually fault him for it.

"Say," Julia said, looking around them for the first time. She lowered her voice, almost as though she were self conscious herself. "Would you like to talk somewhere private? I have a room here."

Once again Squall was shocked stupid and Laguna leapt out of his seat in surprise. "You're room?"

_Is she actually asking him what I _think_ she's asking him?_ Squall wondered in horror.

Julia nodded in response and Squall severely hoped this wasn't going where he thought it was. "Well, it's kind of crowded down here. Pretty hard to talk freely, do you know what I mean? With everyone listening in and all."

Laguna took a look around the room and realized that everyone _was_ kinda focussed on their conversation. As he tried to make his visual sweep as casual as possible, he caught sight of Kiros and Ward at the bar, watching him as well. Ward's jaw was slacked open and Kiros' eyes were bugging out of his skull. It confirmed that they'd known Julia was approaching him when they'd decided to leave.

"You don't want to?" Julia asked and he realized he'd left her hanging unintentionally.

"No, of course that's not it," Laguna protested. Before he could say anything else, Julia rose to her feet, the smile returning to her features.

"Ask the receptionist about my room number. There's security outside my door, so I'm not altogether sure you'd get in without her showing you. I'll go on ahead. I'll talk to you in a bit."

She waved at him as she left the bar, walking up the stairs, the slit in her dress making her long slender legs show.

Laguna just sat there, the rest of the bar resuming their whispering and their staring, Kiros and Ward turning their backs on him and resuming their own conversation. But Laguna could have been oblivious to it all, as shocked as he seemed. He was just as surprised as the soldier was, knowing that he had an audience with an admittedly attractive girl, alone, in her room, in a hotel. Of course everyone was going to jump to conclusions, but Laguna honestly seemed interested in what she had to say to him. Squall wondered if it was going to lead to anything at all (he prayed it wouldn't – the last thing he wanted was to see this guy in the sack with _anything_ for that matter).

With his mind made up, Laguna immediately rose to his feet and headed up the stairs, taking two of them at a time, but as soon as he reached the top, he paused. Squall couldn't blame him. He'd made a complete ass of himself earlier, so what made him think he could go to her _room_ of all places?

Just when Squall thought Laguna was getting cold feet, the soldier surprised him and approached the receptionist, who was on the phone with someone else. The Galbadian waited patiently until the short woman was finished and fixed her attention to him as soon as she'd hung up. "Yes? How may I help you? Would you like a room for the night?"

"Um…" Laguna started, trying to make the words come out. He took in a deep breath, shook his head as he released it and tried again slowly. "Whi-Whi-Which...?" He tried to calm himself down, but when he tried again, the receptionist was beaming, her gaze not at his face, but at his chest.

"Ah, Mr. Laguna Loire, is it?" She asked. Laguna just nodded dumbly. Squall realized she must have read his identification badge. "Ms. Julia is expecting you. I'll show you to her room."

She gestured to the elevator behind her and Laguna followed her, unable to believe that this was actually happening to him. When the doors closed and the contraption began ascending, Laguna's shifted in what felt like an awkward silence. He was mumbling under his breath. It was too low for the receptionist to hear him, but Squall could understand the words almost as though they had been spoken in a normal tone of voice. Laguna was telling himself not to simply talk Julia's ear off and just listen to her problem. From the sound of it, this had happened before. It wasn't difficult for Squall to believe.

Before they'd even realized it, they were at the penthouse level of the hotel, the receptionist leading the way to the suite where Julia waited for them. She nodded at two Galbadian Soldiers – probably Julia's body guards – and she knocked on the door three times. She nodded once again before wandering off.

After a moment, the door opened and Julia smiled at her expected visitor. "Hey, I'm so happy you could make it." She stepped aside and Laguna entered the suite, Julia closing the door behind him.

The suite was enormous. There were long red draped curtains handing from either side of the window, a long red corner couch positioned along the wall. A television was set up along the right hand side, across from the couch, and there even appeared to be a kitchenette. The carpet was white to match the walls, and there was a small set of stairs leading up, probably to Julia's bedroom.

"Nice place," Laguna said, probably because there was nothing else he could've said about it.

Julia smiled at him. "Thank you. I personally think it's too big, but the hotel insisted. It's only temporary until I find a place to stay. Apartment shopping is pretty difficult."

"Tell me about it," Laguna agreed.

Julia sat down on the couch, pulling that loose strand of hair back out of her face. "Have a seat."

Laguna nodded in response and sat down in the chair opposite her. After a moment, he must have thought he was too close to her because he got up and sat down at the opposite side of the couch. When another moment passed, he must have realized he was too far away so he moved forward before heading towards the door.

Julia stopped him after a moment, laughing lightly. "Leaving already? We haven't talked yet." After a moment of examining his features, she laughed again. "You're nervous again aren't you? Does your leg hurt?"

"Uh, no, it's not that I'm leaving," Laguna tried to explain. "But yeah, I am kinda nervous. You see, I'm a really big fan of your music. It's really hard to believe I'm actually standing here, talking to you."

"So that's why you come so often to the bar," Julia said in surprise.

Laguna took a step back. "You knew I was there?" He asked in surprise.

"Of course. I always saw you," Julia answered. "You were always smiling while you were listening, right?"

She smiled slightly. "You have very beautiful eyes." She remarked. "Though they do look a bit scared now."

Laguna had begun to pace as soon as he realized she'd caught him watching her. Squall guessed Laguna was afraid that she'd start calling him a stalker, just like Kiros and Ward always did, but he was slightly off guard when she'd complimented his eyes. The soldier was as well, because he paused in midstride and stared at Julia in surprise. "Don't worry," Julia continued, trying to muffle her laughter. "I'm not going to pluck them and eat them. I just want to talk, staring into those eyes."

"I must be dreaming," Laguna said after a moment.

Julia got up from where she was sitting and moved towards the mini fridge. "Would you like a drink? Wine perhaps?"

Squall expected Laguna to turn her down. From what he'd learned so far, he wasn't much of a drinker. He always ordered juice at the bar while Kiros and Ward got something much stronger. But once again, Laguna surprised him by shrugging. "Sure. Why not?"

* * *

"Yeah, I don't like fightin' too much, but you get to travel, y'know?" Laguna said, a slight slur in his tone. He downed the rest of his wine in one gulp before continuing to speak. "Seeing new places n' stuff. And it's fun, 'cause Kiros and Ward are always with me. Hey, we should all go out drinking' sometime! Whaddya say?"

Squall hadn't thought it was possible, but it had only been ten minutes since he'd been offered a drink. The man had only had a couple of cups and already he was plastered. And for the last ten minutes, all he'd been talking about was himself. Julia just sat on the couch, patiently listening, but Squall figured that she was bored with his one sided conversation. She took sips of her own cup of wine, still on her first cup, and definitely coherent enough.

Too bad the same couldn't be said about the lightweight.

"And, uh... What was I talkin' about?" Laguna asked.

"You said you liked to travel," Julia answered. Squall couldn't tell from her tone whether she was enjoying herself or whether she was simply tuning him out, but she was being polite enough. If it had been Squall, he'd have told the idiot to shut up by then.

But for obvious reasons, he couldn't.

"Oh yeah," Laguna said, nodding enthusiastically. "So, what I really want to do is quit the army and become a journalist!"

"Really?" Julia asked, leaning forward.

"Uh huh. But not one of those journalists who report the news – news is such a downer, doncha think? Nah, I wanna be one of those journalists who write about the places they've been, the people they've seen. Ya know? I wanna be able to tell other people 'bout all the things I've seen on my travels."

"That sounds like a great aspiration," Julia said. "Have you written anything?"

"Sure have!" Laguna said. "In fact, one of my articles made it in the reader's column the other day. Really cool, huh?"

Julia nodded. "I'm happy for you."

"Yeah, that was way cool…" Laguna remarked to himself.

The soldier paused for a moment and Squall figured that _finally_ the soldier was going to shut up and listen to what Julia had to say, but that thought was shattered when Laguna started up again. "Oh yeah, and then..."

* * *

"I'm sorry," Julia said from somewhere close by. Squall couldn't tell because the soldier had his eyes closed.

_Please don't wake him,_ Squall thought in dismay. _He might start talking again._

"I didn't realize wine made you sleepy."

Laguna cracked an eyelid open and Squall realized she was towering over him, still smiling despite the fact that he probably had her bored to tears. He shot up suddenly, leaping up from the couch and nearly colliding heads with the woman, and would have had she not had the sense to step back. She giggled slightly as he tried to shake off the fatigue. "You look adorable when you sleep," she remarked.

"I was talking too much, wasn't I?" Laguna asked, sounding sheepish.

_Gee, Einstein,_ Squall thought sarcastically. _However did you figure _that_ out?_

"It's alright. I don't mind," Julia said. "You're not much of a drinker, are you?"

Laguna shook his head in response. "Then why did you accept the wine?"

"Didn't wanna be rude," Laguna answered. "Sorry, you said you wanted to talk to me about something."

Julia nodded before moving over towards the window, her hands clasped together in front of her. Her head was bowed in front of her, as though the subject depressed her. "I…" she started, but shook off her apparent nervousness and raised her gaze to the window. "I want to sing. Not just play the piano, but sing along with the melody."

_That's it? _Squall thought in annoyance. _That was the big problem you had to ask the idiot about? The whole reason I had to endure his constant chatter?_

"Really?" Laguna asked. "That's great! I'd love to hear you sing! I bet you have a fabulous voice!"

"People tell me that all the time," Julia added.

"So why not go for it?" Laguna asked. "I bet you'd be an instant hit!"

Julia hung her head and Squall figured the idiot had put his foot in his mouth – again. "Sorry, did I say something wrong?"

"No, no, it's not you," Julia said reassuringly. "Thank you for the compliment. And I would pursue it. It's just that I'm not very good with writing song lyrics."

"Oh," Laguna said dully. He folded his arms across his chest. Squall caught Laguna's reflection in the mirror and saw that he actually looked like he was thinking. "Yeah, that would be a problem, wouldn't it?"

_Way to state the obvious, moron._

"But it's okay," Julia shrugged.

"No, it's not okay," Laguna said, looking up from his thoughtful expression. "If you wanna be a singer, you should be able to, no matter what the problem is."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence," Julia smiled as she turned back around to face him. "But thanks to you, I think I can write a song."

Laguna was slightly taken aback. Squall was equally surprised. "Thanks… to me?" Laguna asked uncertainly. "What did I do?"

_My thoughts exactly._

"Just watching you talk tonight gave me some inspiration," Julia answered. "You become animated when you speak freely and you showed me many different faces. Times when you were hurt, worried, or scared…"

Laguna laughed sheepishly at the last bit, but surprisingly enough he didn't interrupt her. "Times where you felt pain deep down inside of you. There were also the times were you felt happy or excited, like when you told me about your journalism dream. All of that was expressed by your smile, your face, but especially, your eyes."

She moved closer to him and Laguna took in a breath as she spoke. "You've shown me something. And because of that, I think I can come up with a song."

"Wow!" Laguna said, genuinely at a loss for words.

_Thank Hyne…_

But after a moment, Laguna sighed. "I'm must be dreaming."

"If you are," Julia said, taking his hand into hers. "I am too. But it's not a dream… is it?"

They stared at each other for a moment, brown eyes meeting green, but before anything could happen, there was a knock on the front door. Squall was thankful for the interruption and when the door opened, he recognized Kiros. "Sorry to cut this short, Laguna," Kiros said, his expression sheepish. "But we've got new orders. We're to head to the Presidential Residence immediately."

Kiros turned to look at Julia, offered her an apologetic smile before closing the door behind him.

"The guards let him in?" Laguna asked. Julia shrugged.

"He probably told them it was urgent business." Julia squeezed Laguna's hand for a brief moment before releasing it from her grasp. "I will see you again… won't I?"

"Of course," Laguna said and offered her a smile. "I've gotta hear that song, right?"

And just like that, everything grew dark around him. He wondered where he was going to end up now, having become used to being simply an observer, but suddenly he found himself lying on a moving surface. He twitched slightly and was surprised to find that he could actually move now, of his own accord. A sound crept through the fog that had started to lift from his brain and the words that sounded were immediately processed. "…Timber… Next stop…"

"I think he's coming around," a female voice sounded. It was faint at first but as consciousness came back to him, it grew louder.

Squall cracked open both eyes and white light flooded into his pupils, momentarily blinding him. Propping himself up onto his arms, he forced himself up into a kneeling position and saw Selphie and Zell crouched down in front of him. He looked to the side and saw the papers he'd been holding before collapsing were scattered haphazardly.

"How long were we out…?" Squall asked, still trying to shake the cobwebs out of his head.

"Dunno," Zell said.

"When I woke up, you guys were out of it," Selphie explained. "I've been trying for the last five minutes to wake you up, and maybe a minute ago Zell finally came to. I think we were all asleep."

"Maybe someone leaked sleeping gas into the cabin," Zell shrugged as he sat back down on the couch behind them. "There are people out there who resent SeeD for what we do."

"Maybe…" Squall conceded. "We should probably be careful from now on, just in case."

"Everyone's alright now, though, right?" Selphie asked.

Squall still felt slightly nauseous, but even as he thought about it the sick feeling was starting to fade. The buzzing had long since gone. In response to Selphie's question, Squall nodded. He saw Zell do the same.

"Phew…" Selphie said before grinning and sitting down on the couch. "Everything's cool with me!"

She was slightly flushed. Squall wondered if she really was feeling alright, but he didn't have to ask her to get an answer. "I had such a nice dream," she giggled, beaming slightly.

"Yeah, I guess I did too." Zell said. "I haven't been able to remember a dream this clearly since I was a kid."

_I had a dream too,_ Squall thought to himself. _But it wasn't so nice._

He stared at the far wall, frowning slightly as his thoughts continued. _I dreamt I was a moron._

"There was this guy in it, and he was pretty funny, really sweet too and pretty shy," Selphie continued. Squall wondered vaguely if anyone was actually listening, but decided that that fact wouldn't have stopped her anyway. "Oooh! I have to admit, though. Sir Laguna really was cute."

That last statement grabbed Squall's attention and Zell slowly turned to look at her from inspecting his shoes. "What'd you just say?" Zell asked.

"The guy in my dream. His name was Laguna and man was he a _cutie_!" Selphie beamed. "Not really my type though, but he was pretty cool, if a little klutzy."

"Whoa…" Zell whistled. "That's just weird. In my dream, there was a guy named Laguna too."

"Really?" Selphie asked. "Maybe the guy had the same name, but looked different. Describe him."

"Pretty short, long dark hair, dressed in Galbadian armour?" Zell started and Selphie's jaw dropped open. "And he was traveling with two other guys. I think their names were…"

"Kiros and Ward?" Squall finished for him.

Both of his team mates turned to stare at him in shock and for a moment, Zell didn't answer. Finally, the brawler appeared to have found his voice. "Yeah… that's right. You had the same dream too?" Zell asked and Squall nodded in response.

"Hey!" Selphie said, grinning widely. "Maybe it's a sign that the three of us were meant to be friends?"

"Where exactly did that come from?" Squall asked her curiously.

Selphie shrugged. "I read it in a magazine once. When people who've never met before have the same dream, it means they were destined to meet. Maybe it was written in the stars that we were supposed to be on the same team."

"Just because we were 'destined to meet' doesn't necessarily mean that we should automatically become friends," Zell pointed out. "But I see your point about the meeting up bit."

Suddenly, the PA system sounded, breaking up the conversation abruptly. "We will be arriving in Timber shortly. For those getting off, please be sure you have all your belongings."

"Well, I guess there's no way we can figure this out now," Selphie said, indicating to the announcement. "Let's just focus on the mission."

"You sure we can?" Zell asked.

"We don't really have a choice, do we?" Squall asked, shaking his head. "We'll put this incident on hold, for now," he added when Zell went to protest. "I'll report it to Headmaster Kramer once we return to Garden."


	16. Chapter XV: The Forest Owls

**Edited:**_ 03/15/09_

**Edited: **_05/23/10_

* * *

**Chapter XV:  
The Forest Owls**

* * *

The train arrived in Timber five minutes after the three of them had awoken. Squall had barely enough time to gather up the files he'd been in the middle of reading and store them back into his bag, mindful of the cursed lamp. Each of them carried the exact same looking SeeD issued bag they'd received upon graduation, though there was no emblem that betrayed their whereabouts. Because of the identical nature of these bags, Squall made it a priority to keep an eye out for whose bag was whose.

The train pulled to a stop in front of a set of stairs leading down. There was no station to enter and Squall assumed it was because the town itself was more or less a train station. Nevertheless the trio emerged from the vehicle and headed down the stairs, keeping an eye out for their contact.

As they exited the train, and entered their night time surroundings, it dawned on Squall that they had no idea who they were looking for. Had they not been given a password, it would have been easy for the Galbadians to intercept them and blow the faction's cover. He hoped that this was merely his mind over thinking the circumstances, since it would be a pain to deal with people who had no idea what they were doing.

As they neared the bottom of the stairs, though, someone did look out of place to him; a young man wearing a white t-shirt underneath a yellow vest, and a pair of green yellow jeans. A blue bandana was wrapped completely over his head (which did nothing to help Squall forget the strange dream), covering his hair from view. He looked like he was waiting for someone; his hands were stuffed into his pockets as he rolled himself on tip-toe in order to look over the heads of those who were passing by at this late hour. In Balamb it was roughly four in the morning. Here in Timber, the clocks around the stairs said it was just after two.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, the teenager – he didn't look much older than Squall – approached them and Squall had a sneaking suspicion he knew what he was about to say. "The forests of Timber sure have changed," he said brightly, almost conversationally.

_Terrific…_ Squall thought to himself, and somehow managed to resist the urge to slap himself in the forehead. He hadn't even _tried_ to make himself appear inconspicuous and Squall couldn't help but wonder if this guy had just gone up to anyone who was coming in from out of town and asked them the password.

Zell caught on quickly though. Where Squall said nothing, Zell grinned good-naturedly. "Yeah, but at least the owls are still around."

The guy's face softened. He looked genuinely relieved. "Welcome to Timber, sir," he said at once. "Right this way."

And he ran off away from the stairs, apparently expecting them to follow. After exchanging an exasperated glance with the rest of his team, Squall led them down the stairs, but he was barely able to pull Selphie out of the way as a gaudy yellow coloured train sped past them. Their correspondent – already on the train tracks – turned at the sound and froze on the spot as the screeching sound of breaks filled the air. The guy closed his eyes in preparation (Selphie shielded her own with her hands) but miraculously the train came to a stop just a few inches away. That didn't stop the guy from falling onto his back.

Another teenager – around the same age group – came barrelling out of the train, jumped from the platform he'd run out on and approached the bandana'd boy. The second teenager was wearing a dark blue sweater, a pair of shorts the same colour and a pair of orange and brown boots. "Watts! What the hell do you think you're doing? How many times do I have to tell you not to stand in front of the train? I almost killed you!"

The new boy helped Watts up to his feet and appeared to wave off whatever excuse had been used. After a second, he turned to look at them, seemingly only just realizing he was being watched. Zell was looking around to see if anyone else had seen what they'd seen and Selphie with her hands over her mouth – having been moved from her eyes. Squall just stood with his team with an eyebrow arched, waiting for them to get serious.

The new guy asked Watts something, but Squall couldn't hear what it was. Zell and Selphie didn't appear to have heard anything either, but after a moment, the two boys approached them. "Welcome to Timber," the new boy said, "though I think we should probably continue this conversation inside. You understand, right?"

Squall frowned thoughtfully but nodded anyway. So far, he wasn't terribly impressed with what he'd seen.

* * *

"Sorry about that," the guy in blue commented, somewhat embarrassed. "So you guys are SeeDs huh?"

Squall nodded in response, wanting to get this over with quickly. The train had taken off after everyone had boarded, though Squall had no idea where they were headed. They were currently standing in a small corridor that was barely wide enough to fit everyone while they stood comfortably. The hall was a dull green colour and there were stairs to his right that led into an even thinner corridor. Watts stood in front of a door that Squall had no clue where it led.

"I'm the Squad leader, Squall. This is Zell," he indicated to his left, where Zell stood, "and Selphie," he indicated his right.

The guy in blue nodded politely, but there was something about the way he was standing that indicated he had been expected something different from the group he had received. This was just fine with Squall as he'd been expecting something different in a group of resistance fighters, competent people for starters. Finally, the guy stopped his scrutinizing and shrugged. "Ah well, appearances can be deceiving I guess. My name's Zone. I'm the leader of the Forest Owls."

He held out his hand in order for Squall to take it. Squall raised an eyebrow before staring at the outstretched hand and folding his arms across his chest. He wasn't about to shake hands with him.

Zone seemed to realize this after a moment, because he turned towards Selphie, who shook hands with him. Squall noticed Zell wiping his hand on his pants before outstretching his hand, before redirecting his attention to Zone. "So, what is it you want us to do?"

Squall noted that Zone had left Zell hanging (though he did not know if this was intentional), and the brawler had turned his back on everyone, opting to shadow box in the corner. Trying not to be noticed, he shifted his foot and nudged Zell in the leg, a silent order for him to knock it off as Zone continued talking.

"Just a minute," Zone said, putting his hands up into the air. "There's no real rush. Not like there's anything we can really do at this late an hour."

Squall frowned at the notion. There was _always_ something they could do under the cover of night, like gathering intelligence about the enemy, looking over what they did know about the Galbadians and utilizing what information they had. They could be positioning people around points of the town to keep an eye on the guards, memorize their positions and use the knowledge to their advantage when they came up with a solid operation. Deciding that Zone was an idiot, he found himself liking this mission less and less as time passed.

However, Zone was oblivious to the mental arguments that Squall was conjuring up and nevertheless continued. "Let me introduce you to the rest of the main team."

The Forest Owl's leader gestured towards Watts, who was practically beaming. He grinned widely, flashing his teeth in their direction and waved as Zone spoke. "You've already met Watts, of course."

"Nice to meet you, sir," Watts said amicably.

Selphie looked like she wanted to say something, but opted to keep her mouth shut. By this time, Zell had whirled around, looking sulkily but attentive all the same.

"The tech squad is made up of Ricard, Garland, and Balbanes. They make this thing move and work on any of the mechanical equipment we'll be using. They're pretty busy right now, but we can go say hi to them in a bit," Zone continued. Squall resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He felt like they were new employees being introduced to the workplace by an overzealous tour guide. "We've also got some of our people in the field, but our major source of Intel comes from Watts here."

"Gathering information is my specialty, sir," Watts added enthusiastically.

Squall wondered exactly how good at intelligence gathering Watts actually was. Before he could ask, however, Zone spoke again. "I guess all that's left is to introduce you guys to the Princess."

Zell gawked at them and Selphie tilted her head to the side. Squall gathered he also looked sceptical. He found it hard to believe that a real princess was actually working with them, especially given their surroundings. It had to be a nick name of some sort. Probably some spoilt brat who was backing their operation in an attempt to do something for their community or some other excuse. He found that, as the minutes ticked by, he was looking less and less forward to this mission.

"Uh…" Watts said as Zone appeared thoughtful – probably trying to recall where this so-called princess was presently. "I think the Princess is asleep, sir. It's two am already, sir, so I guess she got tired."

Selphie's eyes widened and, once again, Squall resisted the urge to slap himself in the forehead. If it turned out they had to baby sit some spoilt brat…

"Oh… damn… I forgot," Zone said and already his expression shifted to one of panic. They hadn't even begun talking about the mission yet. "Go get her, will ya?"

"Nuh uh, sir," Watts said, sounding equally panicked. "I'd rather get thrown in prison by Deling himself! _You_ go get her."

From their reactions, Squall figured that his assumption of the 'Princess' had to be more than accurate. As he watched the two resistance members squabble back and forth between each other, he decided that Zone wasn't much of a leader. Why else would his subordinates openly argue about an order that was given to him? He wasn't a hundred percent positive, but it even made Laguna from that strange dream look like a professional.

That thought alone made him dread this mission even more.

"Hey… uh…" Squall's mental musings were interrupted as Zone stepped forward with a sheepish and near desperate expression. Squall could already tell what he was going to ask. "Could one of you… maybe… go up there and, well, get her? She's in the last room at the far end of the hall."

Squall didn't need to look to know that Zell and Selphie were exchanging glances. It was a ridiculous request at that. Squall particularly didn't feel like being a gopher. They were SeeDs members, Special Forces trained for various forms of combat. He frowned thoughtfully, knowing that he sure as hell wasn't a baby sitter, and wondered if that was the real reason they had hired them in the first place. The thought didn't make him feel any better.

Sighing in exasperation, he frowned deeply as he spoke. "Were we hired to run errands?"

He didn't receive an answer right away, and kept his arms folded – not trusting himself should he let them drop to his sides. Zone, however, seemed to get the feeling he'd said something wrong, because he backed up slightly. Watts looked as though he wanted to be anywhere but here. "Are..." Zone swallowed nervously before he continued. "Are you angry?"

Squall took in a deep breath and released it, reminding himself that SeeDs were to follow orders accordingly. As indignant as he felt, it was still an order. "This is the last time for this kind of thing," he said, relenting.

"If you can't find the room, the tech guys'll help ya out," Zone said helpfully, yet he didn't dare move out of line.

When neither Selphie nor Zell made any more to go get her, Squall headed up the stairs, throwing them both reproachful looks. Selphie just grinned in response and flashed him a thumbs up. Judging by this, he could just picture her cheering him for telling them off on in his head.

The hallway was fairly straight forward and there was barely room for one person to walk through it, with no extra turns or rooms along the way. It made him even angrier. How the hell could they _possibly_ think he couldn't find the room at the end of the hall? Did they think he was stupid enough to get lost in a narrow hallway with nowhere else to go? It was already a depressing beginning to the mission and it didn't look like things would be faring any better.

The first room he passed had three people sitting inside. It was cramped, with a small two-person couch in the far corner and two computer terminals against the walls closest to the doors. There was a trap door beside the couch and the space next to it was relatively empty. The three people – probably the technical workers Zone had talked about – looked like they were working on something, though the one sitting on the couch could have just been sleeping. He didn't care enough to check.

He walked past the room and further down the hall, but when he reached the place he was looking for, he found himself entering unfamiliar territory. It was the biggest room he'd seen so far on the train. Despite the fact it was dark, with his junction's assistance he was able to make out his surroundings almost as though there was a dim light on in the room. The walls were painted pink, and there was a frilly garnish of the same colour surrounding the windows. A thin and transparent pink veil blocked off a door on the left hand side of the room. Unlike the rest of the train, this room had been decorated extravagantly. There was no longer any doubt that the 'Princess' was their financial backer.

The train suddenly pulled to a stop as Squall took two more steps into the room, and he noticed a lump on a bed that looked like a fancy pull-out couch. A thin blanket (pink still) covered the girl's frame, but he could tell she was wearing something black and blue. Almost immediately after the train stopped, the girl rolled over onto her other side, giving Squall a better look at her. After a moment he took in a deep breath out of shock.

He recognized her, recognized the long dark hair with the brownish-blonde highlights, but then she sat up with a groan and he realized she wasn't wearing the white dress she had been when he'd last seen her. Instead, she wore a black tank top, and a blue sleeveless coat that buttoned up at the front.

She wiped her eyes as she woke up (he apparently hadn't been needed after all), but seemed to realize that she wasn't alone. She turned on an adjacent lamp, the look on her face bordering on annoyance as the object lit up the room enough for her to see. But when she saw him, she must have recognized him because she did a double-take. "You're…" she said, her voice betraying her shock. "You know… from the party?"

She pulled herself into a sitting position, her legs – she wore black shorts and a blue miniskirt overtop them – dangling from the side of the bed. "So… does this mean you're a SeeD?"

Squall nodded in response. "I'm Squall, the Squad leader. There are two others here with me."

She didn't seem to take in anything after he'd nodded. She flung the sheets away from her so that they fell to the floor and had leapt onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she cheered that SeeD had finally come. Squall managed to pry her off, his earlier irritation disappearing as he felt somewhat amused by her behaviour. "Take it easy."

"This is a _miracle_!" The girl exclaimed, laughing lightly. "I mean, I've been sending requests to Garden for _forever_ now, but I haven't gotten a response from them. I'm so glad I talked to Cid directly. I just knew he'd be able to help."

Squall suddenly recalled her mentioning looking for someone at the party. Perhaps during the dance she'd spotted the Headmaster and had gone off to pitch her story to him. It would definitely explain why Headmaster Kramer had taken this request even though the payment had been so low. "So you were looking for the Headmaster at the party?" He asked.

To his surprise, however, the girl shook her head in response. "Do you know a guy named Seifer Almasy?"

He was slightly taken aback by the question. What exactly did Seifer have to do with anything? Still, he nodded, slightly curious about what she had to say. She didn't keep him waiting. "Well, when I was having trouble getting someone from the Garden to respond to our request, I remembered I still had his contact information, so I gave him a call. He said he'd get me into the Garden so I could talk to Cid directly. He's the one who introduced us, actually."

Squall resisted the urge to frown, keeping his expression neutral as he rolled the thought in his head. Seifer had never mentioned meeting anyone outside of the Garden, so it put him slightly off guard to know that this girl had met him before. Then he vaguely remembered the previous summer when the older cadet had seemingly disappeared for a couple of months. Maybe he'd gone to Timber for the summer break or something.

But what troubled him the most was the knowledge of Seifer actually wanting to help someone. He was normally out for himself, so what exactly would he have to gain by helping the Forest Owls? And what about the Field Exam? Knowing that it took roughly sixteen hours to get from Timber to Balamb on a one way trip, this would have had to be orchestrated before the exam had even taken place. If Seifer had had personal stake in the Forest Owls' mission, Squall would have thought he'd have tried harder to pass, especially if it was important enough to bring up to the Headmaster. Wouldn't he have wanted to help out in person?

_No... _Squall shook his head of such deliberations. Attempting to try in the Field exam would have meant following the rules and doing exactly what he was told. That in itself was something Seifer would have found irritating and difficult and it wouldn't have been an option even on his death bed. But the thought was still there and it just stirred up more questions that he'd had to sort through for the last two weeks.

Still, the girl remained oblivious to his mental musings as she went on with her ramblings. "Cid is _such_ a nice man. When I told him about our situation, he was more than happy to help. I didn't think SeeD would even consider helping a measly little Resistance Faction like us, but he gave the go-ahead right away. He said he'd need a little while to prepare, and here I thought we'd be waiting for _another_ two weeks. I guess Zone was right to send Watts out to wait everyday _after all._

"But now that you guys are here," she continued excitedly, "we'll be able to carry out all kinds of plans. We're gonna get even further than we've ever been before!"

After a moment, she whirled back around, looking slightly sheepish. "I'm sorry. I tend to get carried away when I get excited about something. Is there something you needed?"

"I'm heading back to the others," Squall said simply. He figured he could dissect Seifer's motives later.

"Alright then, let's go."

The girl started heading for the door, Squall following after her, but she stopped unexpectedly. Rubbing her arm with her right hand, the girl turned to look at him. "Um, Squall…? Is _he_ here?"

At first Squall was left confused, but he soon figured out who she was talking about. He shook his head in response. "Seifer's not a SeeD."

"Oh," she was clearly disappointed. "I see…" She bit her lip for a moment before perking up suddenly. "That's alright, I guess. You guys should be more than enough help. I'm Rinoa, by the way." She extended her hand forward.

Squall surprised himself by extending his own hand forward and shaking her hand. Normally he didn't do this, and he couldn't explain why he'd opted to this time. Folding her arms across her chest loosely after they broke contact, she grinned broadly at him. "SeeDs dance really well, don't they?"

Even as he started to speak, he could feel his face heating up. The last thing he needed was a reminder of that disaster. "Approach your target inconspicuously at a dance party."

Her face fell in confusion, and he pressed on. "There may be missions in which that sort of subterfuge may be required. It's expected of SeeD Members to learn various skills for various missions."

"Oh, so its work related…" She said, sounding slightly dejected. "That's a shame."

He heard a sound from behind and he turned around to see a brown and white collie clamber out from underneath the bed. The dog walked over past Squall and stopped just in front of Rinoa. Squall assumed the animal belonged to her, and a second later she proved him right. "This is my partner, Angelo."

_Partner?_ He thought to himself incredulously. _What does she think this is, a game?_

"Angelo's a smart dog, you know," Rinoa said, and he realized she had seen his scepticism. "She does all kinds of tricks that help me out from time to time. I'm told very often how well trained she is."

The raven-haired girl dropped down so she was within eye level of Angelo. "I've got some very important work to do now," she said, scratching at the fur on the dog's cheek with her right hand and smoothing it out on the top of her head with her left. "Be good now."

The dog whined a little as Rinoa withdrew her hands and left the room. She stared after her owner for a moment before walking over to the bed, hopping onto it and making herself comfortable on the mattress. Squall didn't waste any time in following the girl down the hallway.

They walked in silence until they reached the stairs and descended them, gaining the attention of all in the car. Wattsand Zone looked especially impressed, though Squall couldn't figure out why. Choosing to ignore them for the most part, he introduced Rinoa to Selphie and Zell, who responded amicably enough.

"Well, then…" Rinoa said. "I guess you'll want to know what you'll be doing. We'll hold the briefing in this room," Rinoa gestured to a large green door behindWatts.

Wattsmoved out of the way, letting everyone inside. The room looked worse for wear, with a table positioned in the very center of the room, a ratty set of blinds covering the windows, and a bulletin board at the far end of the room. There was barely enough room to stand side by side. Squall wondered vaguely if the money used to decorate Rinoa's room could've been made to make some repairs on the train, but said nothing as Zell and Selphie moved to the far end of the room. Squall positioned himself near the table where he noticed a model display had been set up with trains.

"Just stand wherever you want," Rinoa said, despite knowing they had done so already. Zone came into the room after her andWattsclosed and locked the door behind them when he came in.

"This is a full scale operation," Zone started when no one showed any signs of moving from where they stood. "Our Resistance, the 'Forest Owls', will be forever known as the detrimental instrument of Timber's liberation from the Dogs of Galbadia. Exciting, isn't it?"

Squall glanced around at his team-mates. Selphie was looking longingly at the window, and Zell was leaning against the wall clearly looking bored. Neither of them appeared to be excited, and Squall knew he didn't think it was all that stimulating.

"Technically we weren't expecting you guys for another couple of weeks," Rinoa explained, "but your arrival tonight was well timed."

"We've been planning an operation just in case something like this happened," Zone continued. "And thanks to some top-secret info…"

"I gathered the info, sir!"Wattsbeamed with pride.

"We can put the plan into action."

"A V.I.P. is coming to Timber," Rinoa jumped in. "Someone from Galbadia's capital."

"Super V.I.P., sir!"Wattsinterrupted once again.

"Turns out, it's the so-called Galbadian President, Vinzer Deling," Zone said, his tone growing hard.

"Deling's nothing but a scoundrel!" Wattsinterrupted for a third time. "He's not even a _real_ President. More like a Dictator! No one in Galbadia even likes him for what he's done, sir!"

Squall was starting to feel like a spectator in a tennis match. Each time someone spoke, he was forced to keep turning his head in their direction to focus his attention on them, and it happened so frequently he thought that, by the end of the briefing, he was going to suffer from some serious whiplash. It was rather disorganized and he couldn't help but think to himself that they should have elected one speaker at a time.

"According to our Intelligence," Zone continued, oblivious to Squall's inner critic, "Deling's taking a private train fromDelingCityto Timber."

"So whatcha gonna do?" Selphie asked. "Blow it to smithereens with a rocket launcher?"

Selphie's tone of voice sounded entirely too cheerful for Squall's tastes and, when he turned to regard her, he saw she was actually grinning at the prospect. He made mental note to keep her away from anything bound to explode.

"Uh…" Zone said, paling slightly. Rinoa's jaw had dropped andWattsmoved steadily further away from her. "Not quite…"

"So what _are_ we here for?" Zell asked impatiently. Judging by his tone of voice, he was in the same opinion as Squall.

"We're just getting to that," Rinoa said. "I need everyone to look at the train model on the table."

Squall immediately moved away from the table so he was no longer blocking the trains from view. Inspecting it further, he realized that there were three tracks amidst the flourishing surroundings that he assumed depicted the area near the town. There was a curved track that connected the topmost two tracks together near the right hand side, though they continued straight on regardless. On the opposite side, the middle and bottom tracks were connected by a similar line of track. Also at the right hand side were trains, two train cars – one blue and one yellow - were on the upper track, and there were four – one green, one red and two grey – positioned on the middle.

Rinoa flipped a switch on the side of the table, and the model came to life. The newly activated trains moved along the tracks but the moment the two top trains reached the curving track, she flipped the same switch and the model stopped. "Obviously, the yellow train represents our base. We're riding in it right now. The blue car represents the 'dummy' car."

"Dummy car?" Zell asked curiously. Selphie shushed him.

"It's a car that supposed to look exactly like the car the President'll be riding in," Zone explained. "From missions we've conducted in the past, and from Watt's expert information gathering,"Wattsbeamed at the compliment, "we were able to procure photographs of special cars used for transporting the President."

"Wouldn't they have noticed?" Selphie asked, tilting her head to the side.

"I made absolutely sure I was discreet, ma'am," Watts assured, and Selphie tilted her head to the opposite side. Squall didn't think she'd expected the formality.

"Getting back to the plan," Rinoa said, sounding slightly irritated by the interruptions. Everyone quieted down in response and Rinoa continued. "They'll have four cars. One locomotive," she pointed at the green car, "the escort cars," she indicated the grey cars on either side of the red car, "and the President's car," she directed them to the red car. "Once we get on the second escort car at the back of the train, the operation begins."

"Wait," Selphie said as Squall furrowed his brows. Zell looked equally confused. "We're jumping on _trains_ now?"

"Our aim is to get to the President without the Galbadian soldiers intercepting us," Zone explained. Rinoa had a puzzled expression. She must have assumed she'd told them already. "Once he gets to Timber, no doubt he'll have guards on him the entire time, so our only chance to get him alone is on his way to Timber. Obviously, we can't just climb aboard and get to him that way, which is where the operation begins."

He nodded at Rinoa, who nodded back and resumed the explanation. "Because of the huge amount of security, our goal is to escape with the Presidential car with Deling inside. Yes, we're technically kidnapping the President," she said as Zell opened his mouth to say something, "and if everything goes well enough, we should have minimal to no casualties.

"That's where the dummy car comes in," she continued. "And that's why the dummy car is modeled to look _exactly_ like the President's car. Because we want to leave with Deling, we're going to switch his car with our dummy car. They shouldn't be able to tell the difference."

"There are two switch points that lead up to Timber," Zone said, taking over the explanation. "We're heading into position now, so that the moment we see the train coming, we can tail it. Once we catch up, we have to get onto the train, and since we don't exactly have helicopters and all that other spy stuff, we'll be jumping from the roof of the dummy train car to the roof of theirs. Should be easy. They do it in the movies all the time."

Again, Squall was reminded of how much an idiot Zone was, but refrained from giving his opinion, instead listening to the explanation. "Then we have to get to where the President's car is, get our cars to attach to it and then de-attach the President's car and our base from the rest of the train."

"How can you uncouple a moving train?" Selphie asked puzzled.

"There's a mechanism on the bottom of the train that controls the coupling link." It was Zell that answered that question. "Though _technically_ you can't completely uncouple train cars from a moving train. 't's impossible. So instead you just gotta mess with the controls. It'll override them for a brief period of time before reattaching to the closest object with a similar if not identical coupling link."

"Exactly," Rinoa nodded, obviously impressed. "Which is what we'll have to do to get our base attached to their cars. But that's not the only thing we'll have to worry about. There'll be guards in either escort train with sensors. One is a temperature sensor that detects heat signatures, and a sound sensor that can pick up anything, even something as inaudible as a pin dropping. We can also thankWattsfor getting us the info on these."

Wattsbeamed once again and Zone took over. "But we'll get into those in a bit. First, we'll cover the rest of the plan. I'll start off by saying that because Deling hates being guarded and keeps them and their sensors away from him, you don't have to worry about being detected when you're on the President's car.

"But we need to get to the first escort car first. Each coupling link has four codes that you have to enter in order to override the controls and de-attach the cars."

Zone received another puzzled look from the SeeDs before he shook his head in embarrassment. "Sorry, getting ahead of myself again. I'll explain. Because we can't uncouple the train cars, we need to fiddle with the controls to the locking mechanisms, like Zell already explained, and to do that we need security access codes that'll undo the locks for a few seconds, which'll give us enough time to manoeuvre in and attach our car to theirs, eventually leaving them with the dummy car. For the first part, however, we only need one person to enter the codes. The others can either help keep the person entering the codes level with the train or look out for the guards in the escort car."

"Once our train is attached," Rinoa jumped in, "we'll need to split up into teams of two. Each team will be responsible for uncoupling our train and the President car from the two escort trains and leaving our dummy car with them before we reach the next switch point. After that, we're home free. They arrive in Timber with the decoy, and we get to confront the real President."

"It's pretty risky," Zone explained. "_Especially_ in the beginning. If we don't uncouple the cars in time for the first switch point, then our base and the dummy car will collide with their train. And if we don't uncouple them in time for the second switch point, we could very well get caught. That's something none of us can really afford."

"Now onto the sensors," Rinoa said before gesturing toWatts.

"Like Rinoa said earlier," Watts began, "there are two kinds of sensor's the Galbadians use. The temperature sensor and the sound sensor. The temperature sensor will go off if you stay stationary, sir, and the sound sensor will go off if you move around. According to my intelligence, soldiers wearing the red jumpsuits will be in charge of the temperature sensor, and the ones in blue will hold the sound sensor."

"But why would they colour coordinate them by what kind of soldier?" Squall asked suddenly.

"Because of the rotation, there's always one red soldier and one blue soldier in each of the cars making the rounds," Watts explained. "And according to the intelligence I picked up, because of the delicate nature of the temperature sensor, the higher ups are trusting that to the higher ranked officials, who are more likely to care about the handling of the equipment than a lower ranked soldier who only cares about getting the job done and getting paid."

Squall nodded to himself. The explanation itself was sound, but it still made little sense to him. It was a little too convenient for his tastes, but again he said nothing as the briefing continued.

"So we avoid them by moving if it's the red guy and stopping if it's a blue guy?" Zell asked, to which Watts nodded.

"Question!" Selphie said, and everyone turned to stare at her. "If we're on the train, how will we be able to switch to the track with the Galbadians?"

"The tech guys upstairs hacked into the frequency that controls the switch points," Zone explained. "They'll be poised to switching us in and out when we reach the junction. It'll be timed so the Galbadians stay on their course, while we'll be taking the scenic route back to Timber. They won't get suspicious that way."

"As for disconnecting the train," Rinoa jumped in again, "the code Zone mentioned will have four number digits. We've got the code, but a couple will be given to whoever else is supervising when the two teams split up to uncouple the cars. Each of you will get to practice these codes, but in the end only two people will enter them. We'll practice them once the mission explanation is done, and once more in the morning before the operation begins."

"Just curious," Selphie interjected, and pointed at the train model. During each of the explanations, Rinoa had activated and deactivated the switch that would make the model move at the appropriate points. Currently, the train's position was at the opposite end of the diorama from where it had started. "But almost all the trains look nice. The exception is this one," she pointed at the red car. "Not that it's important, but it's kinda been bugging me. Why's it so ugly looking?"

"That's because Rinoa made it," Watts said and Rinoa glared at him, as if daring him to say it was her fault. "We bought everything else at the gift store."

_It'd be bad if he was spotted picking up those supplies,_ Squall mused mentally. _Then again, it'd be fairly difficult to actually connect the two instances if he wasn't spotted. Looks like they did something right._

"Really? _You_ made it?" Zell asked, to which Rinoa nodded uncertainly. Zell snorted in response. "I thought some little kid made it. It barely works, and the paint job sucks too."

Inspecting the model for himself, Squall realized it really did look bad. One of the car's wheels didn't even connect with the track, and there were parts that looked like they'd been forced together and then super glued with excessive amounts of glue. One of the parts had also been cracked – probably a result of too much pressure – and had been taped back in place. The paint job made it look even worse, because there were lumpy spots, and one side of the model looked like it had had multiple coats applied on it.

Squall never claimed to be artistically gifted, but even _he_ knew an artistic failure when he saw it, and he silently agreed with Zell's declaration of the crap job.

"Oh shut up!" Rinoa snapped, and she flushed in embarrassment. "It's _supposed_ to look like that. It represents my hatred of the President."

Squall resisted the urge to snort. While she might have hated Deling, he doubted that had any connection to the poor construction of that model. Zell appeared to agree. He was staring at the object with a mixture of pity and scepticism.

Selphie on the other hand seemed to buy into it, wrinkling her nose slightly. "That's got to be the _ugliest_ train model I've _ever_ seen. You must _really_ hate him. A _lot_."

The flushed colour deepened and she grabbed a nearby sheet, dumping it over the model and huffing in frustration. "Shut up about the model. It's just a stupid guide. _Obviously_ the trains are gonna look a lot different, so can we just drop it?"

Zell grinned at her expense and Selphie shrugged, seemingly prepared to let the subject lie. Rinoa nodded, satisfied with the result. "So everyone understands the operation?"

The three of them nodded in response and Rinoa forced a grin. "Good. We may need to go over the finer points again in the morning. We're not expecting them until later. I'll have you guys enter the codes just to make sure you get the handle of it."


	17. Chapter XVI: Galbadia's Trickery

**Edited:** _02/02/09_

**Edited: **_05/24/10_

* * *

**Chapter XVI:  
Galbadia's Trickery**

* * *

Once the briefing had finished, they were given their sleeping arrangements. Because the briefing room was the largest in the base (or so they were told), they were to camp out there for the night and wake up early to begin practical preparations for the operation.

Zell hadn't known what to expect when it came to sleeping accommodation, but somehow he hadn't exactly pictured a sleeping bag in one of the messiest rooms he'd ever seen on a butt-ugly looking train. It was kind of depressing. When he'd complained (out of earshot of the clients of course), Squall had told him to just get over it, though he could tell the Squad leader was just as annoyed, if not more so, with the group in general.

As they set themselves up, Selphie had pointed out articles for a magazine called 'Anarchist Monthly'. Just by skimming the articles, Zell could tell it was all about Deling's rise to power. He couldn't understand why, if everyone hated him so much, he was _still_ in power, and jacked it up to the water the locals were drinking. Electing the guy to be the 'Life-long' President had been just dumb. In Balamb, they had elections every four years to elect a new leader, and if the guy was a total jackass and was screwing over the people, the cabinet could call a new election and throw the bum outta office. Why was it so hard for a larger country like Galbadia to run their government this way?

Despite having slept on a train for sixteen hours prior, Zell was unbelievably exhausted, and once his head hit the sleeping bag, he was out like a light until the morning sun drifted in through the now opened blinds. He rubbed at his eyes, wincing slightly as he tried to get used to the brighter surroundings, but at the same time grateful he'd woken up as himself. That Kiros guy was pretty cool and all, but Zell preferred his own skin to someone else's.

Looking over, he saw that the others were in much the same condition as he was. Selphie was rubbing her eyes and mumbling about not wanting to get up just yet while Squall was rolling up his own sleeping bag, still looking as tired as the brawler felt (though he was sure the Squad leader was trying hard not to show it). By the time the Forest Owls came to check up on them, however, they'd all had managed to shake themselves of the groggy feeling, and the day's work had begun.

According to Watts, Deling's train wasn't due for another two hours, which gave them all time to prepare. They refreshed themselves with the mission objective, tried out the code breaker that was supposed to be a duplicate of the locking mechanism on Deling's train car, and formed the team that would work on the mechanisms itself. Watts had claimed his only specialty was gathering information and Zone had collapsed onto the ground – they had been told he got sick on trains, though Zell wasn't completely convinced. This left Rinoa as the only tag along, and Zell, like the others (he'd caught Selphie shoot him a dubious look and could only assume that Squall thought the same) was dubious of just how much she would be able to help out. Nevertheless, they still needed at least four people for the operation, so they couldn't afford to be choosey. Just as they were wrapping up the second briefing, the train shifted before beginning to gather speed.

"We're moving again," Rinoa had said, stating the obvious. "We should be at the checkpoint soon, and when Deling's train rolls by, the mission begins."

While they waited, the tech guys insisted that the three of them head up to their room (they'd called that cupboard space an office) where they had shown them the dummy of the President. Selphie had cried out in surprise when the dummy had suddenly talked and Zell had been equally shocked that the voice had sounded exactly like Deling's. The tech's had proudly explained how they'd managed to gather voice codes from the televised speeches aired from Deling and varied the pitches to give off the illusion of annoyance. All that had been left was transcribing their scripted dialogue into the speech patterns and making the flow of speech realistic. It was definitely one thing the group had managed to get right so far.

Unfortunately, with the time restraint caused by the sudden visit, they had not been able to make a suitable replica of the President's face. The doll's face was blank and incomplete with a gaping hole that exposed wires and screws. This flaw was rectified by giving the dummy a newspaper to hold, giving the illusion that it was reading. Zell's only objection had been the knowledge of where the newspaper came from. If there was no means to actually obtain a copy, then the soldiers guarding the President would immediately know that something was wrong.

Like him, Selphie had been awestruck by how realistic the dummy was, though Squall seemed much less impressed. He didn't say anything out right (and Zell could tell it was taking all of the Squad leader's restraint not to tear this group of amateurs a new hole), but he could tell he was also concerned with being caught by the additional prop. Nevertheless, there was no time now to rectify it. They would be forced to make due, and hope the Galbadians didn't notice until it was too late.

They didn't have to wait that much longer after that before another train was spotted in the distance. From the looks of its direction, it was heading for Timber and the technicians immediate jumped into action, activating the engines that propelled the train forward. They sped along the tracks fast enough to close in but not nearly enough to overshoot their target. Soon they were travelling so that the Forest Owls' dummy car was travelling right alongside the second Galbadian escort car.

"Now we only have two minutes until we reach the first checkpoint," Rinoa said over the roar of the wind that swept past them, her hand raising up to push away a strand of hair that was blown into her face. Currently they were crouching atop the dummy Presidential car. "After we pass over the President's car, we'll begin with the first coupling. Squall, you said you would work on the first one, right?"

Beside Zell, Squall nodded.

"Alright, just making sure. We don't want to be disorganized, especially not when it counts. Let's go!"

* * *

Private Jason Cray had been dreading this particular assignment since he'd first received his orders from his commanding officer.

It wasn't so much the travel that put him off as it was the knowledge that he would be aboard the same train as President Vinzer Deling. Of course, he believed in the man (how could he not believe in him if he was in the military?) but it was his reputation when it came to travelling long distances that put him on edge, one that preceded him through word of the other soldiers who somehow managed to survive. According to the other soldiers, if you were drawn up for report duty aboard a train with the President, it was wiser just to cut your losses and quit before giving the C.O.'s the opportunity to discharge you. In most cases, soldiers lost their jobs simply from annoying the political figurehead too much with the constant reports. While in the end it was the Galbadian General Caraway who had final say to end a soldier's career, the President was a terrifying man when angered. Usually it was safer to simply comply with the man's demands and wash one's hands of the situation.

From the rumours and suggestions his buddies had made about the whole thing, it was fairly obvious that President Deling _hated _being disturbed by the routine reports. Unfortunately, it was also common knowledge that the soldiers accompanying the Commander-In-Chief to his destination were obligated to do apprise him of the situation after making their rounds.

Even worse was the fact that Cray just couldn't afford to take his buddies' advice and quit the military. He was stuck in a lose-lose situation with no parachute to save him. Military pay wasn't exactly glamorous but it helped pay the bills, leaving him with a bit extra to survive on. Furthermore, he'd been scrimping and saving for a long while now, hoping to propose to his long-time girlfriend of three years. Sure, he couldn't get her all those expensive trophy-like jewels or cars she was accustomed to receiving from suitors and previous boyfriends, but she'd stayed with him for this long already. It was high time that she get something out of it.

But it didn't look like he was going to keep this job by the end of the day anyway. He'd already made his half-hourly reports a few times during this trip, and he'd gotten his head bit off each and every time.

"Are you even listening?" His superior snapped, causing Cray to jump suddenly.

"Sir, yessir," Cray fell into a salute, knowing full well he actually wasn't.

The red-clad soldier didn't appear to believe him. He could hear the accusatory tone in his voice as he spoke. "Turn on the sound sensor, already. I wouldn't be surprised if those Resistance Fools decided to try something."

Cray made a gasping sound. He should have figured that's what he was saying, and he grabbed the device he had mentioned, switching it on as he said, "Activating Sound Sensor." It beeped for a moment, but then it stopped.

_What the..._ he thought to himself, looking over and watching as his superior officer stared intently at the temperature sensor. _It's not working? Maybe it's defective..._

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he shook his head. That couldn't have been the case. The Sarge had made it and that guy was brilliant when it came to mechanical equipment. None of his previous devices had crapped out before.

His superior officer seemed to be having the same problem with the temperature sensor. He was shaking it in the air – something Cray wasn't entirely sure he should've been doing in the first place.

Still, Jason debated about telling the Sarge before shaking himself of that notion. If he said anything about the malfunction to him, there was no doubt in his mind that he'd be fired, even if he was telling the truth. He made up his mind then and there. He wasn't about to lose his job – and a possible future with his girlfriend – over some stupid sensor.

"Activation confirmed," Cray stated almost at the same time the Sarge spoke.

* * *

It had been difficult walking across the top of the train.

Squall had always thought it would be more difficult than what he'd seen in movies or on television programs, but it was even harder than what he had fathomed. Twice he'd had to grab a hold of either Rinoa or Selphie to keep them from falling over the side, and Zell had opted to crawl atop it. According to the brawler, it made things a lot easier. Squall had almost been tempted to do away with his jacket because it kept flying up and the zipper kept slapping him in the face. Eventually, he'd done up the zipper, if only to prevent it from happening again.

If the Galbadians were onto them, they weren't doing much about it. They'd already reached the first escort car by the time Rinoa spoke again. "Okay, like Watts said earlier, there should only be two guards in each of the escort cars. Selphie... could you watch out for them?"

"Okie-doke," Selphie shrugged before closing her eyes for a second. She opened them immediately afterwards and there was a hazy expression on her face as she leaned forward on the President's car, almost as though she could see through the roof of the escort car. Squall assumed she'd cast scan to keep an eye out for the targets.

Rinoa on the other hand looked confused before simply shrugging. She probably assumed that Selphie knew what she was doing. "Zell, I'm gonna need your help with the cable."

Zell nodded in response, leaning over the cable and grabbing hold of the wire with his hands. Rinoa nodded her thanks and turned to look at Squall. "Like Zell said yesterday, the control pad is just beneath the train. You'll have five seconds to enter the code, otherwise you'll have to start again." She checked her watch – it had a clock that counted back to where they would hit the checkpoint. "We've got a little over three minutes left, so you'll have to work quickly."

Squall nodded, even as he wrapped the cable around his waist, gripped the rest of it like a rope and placed an ear bud inside of his right ear. The wind was too strong for sound to carry too far, so Rinoa would be telling him the codes through a communications device. Leaning back like a mountain climber would, he jumped away from the roof of the train, his feet lightly tapping against the side until he was where he needed to be. As he hung precariously along the bottom of the train, he found the console and flipped the lid open. It revealed the touch pad and four buttons – he would have to push them in a specific order.

"The guy in blue's moving!" Selphie called out from above.

Cursing lightly, Squall tugged on the cable cord and Zell started pulling him up to the roof while Squall pulled himself by using his arms. He just barely made it and tugged his leg up over the side while Selphie indicated with her finger where the soldier was moving with her right hand. Just as her hand was moving away, she lifted her left arm, frowning slightly. "Now the guy in red's moving around."

"Get back on the Presidential car," Rinoa said. "They can't track us from there."

Quickly the SeeDs did as told, Zell carrying the cable with him and they all crouched down on the roof of the President's car. Selphie - still under the affects of the scan spell she'd cast - kept her arms raised as she followed the movements of the soldiers below. Her gaze never left the roof of the escort train, and her frown suddenly deepened.

"What is it?" Squall asked.

Selphie didn't turn away from the train when she answered him. "I think something's wrong. I could just be imagining it and I can't tell for sure, but it looks like the soldiers keep looking out the window."

"That_ is_ odd," Zell agreed, looking confused.

"Yeah, they wouldn't need to constantly look out the window with the two sensors," Rinoa mused aloud. "And they'd only really be looking if the sensors reacted to something."

"Do you think we've been compromised?" Selphie asked.

Squall shook his head in response. "If the sensors had picked something up, then there would be soldiers climbing up to confront us." Squall leaned over the edge of the train and searched the gap between the trains before shaking his head again. "There's no one here to intercept us."

"Yeah, I don't think the sensors caught us either," Rinoa agreed. "From my experience, the soldier's reaction times are on the mark. We'd be under arrest by now."

"So then maybe it's busted," Zell suggested with a shrug.

Squall frowned. The possibility of that just seemed highly unlikely, even more so than the guards not responding as quickly as they should have. The memory of that machine spider in Dollet was still fresh in his memory, and it proved that the Galbadians were more than just competent when it came to machines.

"That's not really very likely that we'd be that lucky," Selphie said, as though reading his thoughts. "Remember that spider in Dollet?"

Rinoa looked puzzled but Squall didn't heed her any mind, nor did either of the others. Instead, he nodded in response to Selphie's question. "That looked pretty competent to me."

"Well what other explanation have we got?" Zell said. "Maybe we got lucky."

"We'll have to figure it out later," Squall said before turning his attention towards the client. "How much time's left on the clock?"

Rinoa shook herself from her confusion and looked down at her wrist watch - an expensive looking object with a timer counting backwards. She'd explained before the mission that it was counting backwards towards the first checkpoint and that it would reset once they'd passed it. When she saw the time, she hissed out a curse before directing her gaze towards the SeeDs. "We've wasted enough time wondering about it. We've only got a little over two minutes left."

"The guards been making his rounds," Selphie explained. "It takes about two minutes for them to get from one end of the train to the next, and they both start on opposite ends. Now I'm positive they're compensating for something. We've got a window of maybe a minute before you get caught by one of them."

Nodding once in understanding, Squall jumped back onto the train and re-attached the cable onto the roof. If felt like he was moving slower than he should have - probably due to the lack of time he had to enter the code. He felt more than saw two of the others jump to his side. Rinoa and Zell helped him attach the cable while Selphie stayed on the President's car - probably opting to keep an eye on the soldiers that way.

"There're both meeting in the middle," Selphie said, as if confirming his assumption.

He was tied down at this point and he quickly kicked off, shimmying back to the bottom of the train and reaching his previous precarious position above the train controls. He hadn't had enough time to close the lid when he'd been forced back up top, and found himself relieved by the lack of judgment. He held his fingers poised over the touch screen, waiting for the code.

"2-1-4-4," Rinoa's voice sounded from the ear piece.

Squall pressed the number 2 on the pad and was about to move to the next number when Selphie's voice sounded through the earpiece. "Red's coming your way!"

Cursing, he typed the last three digits. He glanced towards the window to see that the soldier was converging onto his position, if he passed the window to the door above before he shimmied back up, they'd all be caught.

After closing the lid to the control panel, he tugged on the cable hard and pulled himself back up, thankful that Zell at least was junctioned.

* * *

Sergeant Cory Wright made his way to the opposite side of the train car, scowling as he did. He was going to make the guys in the other escort car pay dearly for this insult. He and his partner had already discovered that the sensors were dead, but hadn't said a word just in case the problem was solely on them. But Wright was positive it had something to do with the other Sergeant, Brady Armstrong. The prick had boasted during their mission briefing that he knew all the ends when it came to machinery, but obviously he'd only wanted bragging rights.

Boy was that asshole's ass going to be sore when he got through kicking it.

So to compensate for Sergeant Armstrong's vast incompetence, he and his partner were forced to look out the window of their escort car to make sure that no one stupid enough to attack the President made any attempts in doing so. Just when he thought this whole thing was just a waste of time, he saw something black through the very end window before the door. Frowning, he quickened his pace, making sure that the submachine guns strapped against the armbands of his uniform were in order and he stopped right in front of one of the boarding doors. Unlike with the pedestrian trains that had a number pad, the locks were designed so that only officials of the military could open and close them. Their ID badges were sufficient enough to do just that.

Wright unclipped his ID badge from his uniform and waved it against the motion sensor. It beeped and told him in an apathetic voice that access had been granted. The door barring his path swung open and he looked outside, raising his weapons at the would-be intruder—

— Only to discover that there was no one there.

Scowling, he leaned further down just in case someone was hiding beneath the train car, and couldn't make out anything. He veered around to check the gap between the trains and again saw nothing. He was about to climb up to check the roof but thought against it. No one was stupid enough to run around on the roof at these break neck speeds.

Sighing, he made his way back into the train car in order to make his report.

If he had bothered to stay outside just a little while longer, he might have seen the train cars unlocking and spreading out as the locomotive gathered speed. He would have also taken note that another train with two cars - one that was the same as the President's car and a yellow train car with a picture of a skull emblazoned on it - was barrelling down the track adjacent to them. He would have seen that, once they'd passed the check point, the foreign red car was now attached to the back of his escort car even as the mechanized locks connected both foreign trains together.

He would have known that something was up, and he would have made his report.

Instead, Sergeant Wright made his way ignorantly back into his escort car to report that his suspicions had been a false alarm, not knowing that he would be following Sergeant Armstrong and the two soldiers who had accompanied them to the court martial that would undoubtedly follow this incident.

* * *

They had all held their breaths when they'd spotted the guard, hoping against all hope that he wasn't smart enough to check the rooftops. Rinoa had been biting her lip and checking her watch, no doubt at a loss as to what would happen should he stay long enough to witness the results of messing around with the control systems. It had been a very long minute since Squall had pulled himself back up onto the roof of the President's car, and they only breathed when the guard made his way back into the train car. A second after the door closed behind him, the trains became disconnected and the Forest Owls base and the fake President car filled the gap that was left. The next thing they knew, the couplings connected, and every car along the tracks were attached to one another, with no one being the wiser.

"Yes!" Rinoa cheered and she checked her watch again, the satisfaction growing on her features. "The easy part was getting us connected. Now the hard part is getting away with the real President's car."

Squall personally thought that her ideas on what was easy and what was more difficult were a bit skewed, but he didn't say a word as she continued. "You all know what to do."

Indeed they did. He recalled the information from the final briefing they'd had. Selphie and Zell would de-attach the Forest Owl's base from the fake President's car, while he and Rinoa would do the same with the President's car and the second escort. Because there were similar controls on the President's car as the ones on the escort car, they didn't need to worry about getting caught. All the same, if the sensors really were broken, then the guards would be keeping an eye out for them.

While it seemed easier, Squall knew that he couldn't let his guard down, even for a second. They weren't out of the woods yet, and if they got caught now, there was no telling what was going to happen.

* * *

Private Cray checked his watch and knew that he had delayed the inevitable long enough. It was do or die time and he could no longer stall in making his report. So he left his post with his superior officer and entered the President's car, being careful to close the door behind him. The room was spacious, with golden yellow walls, a chandelier as the light source, and a set of deep red sofa-like benches set in the center of the room. The carpet was also a deep red.

On the bench to Cray's left sat the President. He was a dark haired man wearing a navy blue suit, sitting on a bench with his back to Cray. He didn't even bother to turn around and acknowledge his presence, though he had yet to do so the last twenty-seven times he'd stopped by to give his report. "S-sir..." Cray stammered, and he tried to will his voice to be steady. "Everything is in order, sir!"

He waited for a moment, standing at attention and saluting the ruler of Galbadia, but still the President said nothing. Cray couldn't help but wonder about that. The last few times the President had made complaints about his presence– that he was disturbing what could've otherwise been a very pleasant train ride.

That was when he noticed the newspaper the President was reading, and he couldn't help but wonder where he'd gotten it – they didn't sell newspapers on this train, and the other soldiers didn't have any reading articles to give him.

"What's taking so long!" the Sergeant snapped, running into the room. After a moment, he stopped and moved towards the President, his tone much somber than what Cray was used to hearing. "Sorry to disturb you sir, but this grunt should've been back on patrol..."

The rest of his excuse was cut off abruptly when, for the first time since Cray had entered the car, the President spoke, "I'm in a very bad mood right now," the President snapped, not once taking his eyes off the newspaper he held in front of him. "If there is nothing of importance, I order you to leave immediately."

"S-s-s-sir!" his superior stammered, slapping himself into a hasty salute. "Yessir!"

He whirled on Cray – who was still saluting him – and seemed to take his temper out on him. "What do you think you're still doing here? Get back on patrol!"

A moment later, they heard someone shout from outside of the room and both Cray and his commanding officer ran out of the room to see what the problem was. Instead, they ran into a room that didn't look like anything they'd ever seen before – wherever they were, it definitely wasn't one of the escort trains.

"What the hell is this?" The superior officer snapped.

"Goodnight!" A voice called out and, after a moment, Cray felt something hard impact with his head – despite the thickness of his helmet, he was left dazed, and only happened to notice his superior officer getting hit over the head by the same instrument. The next thing Cray saw was the red carpet steadily growing closer before the lights suddenly turned out.

* * *

"That..." Zone said as he clapped his hands together, having dropped the heavy pole he'd grabbed when he'd seen the soldiers coming, "was a very close call."

Both soldiers were sprawled out on the floor and Watts stood behind him, looking from both of them to the leader of the Forests Owls. "Nicely done, sir!" he complimented.

Zone was about to comment, but his stomach churned as they made a slight turn and he put his hand over his mouth. He didn't wait for Watts to move out of his way as he charged over towards a corner and started retching. As much as he loved trains, his stomach couldn't handle the constant moving and manoeuvring. Just thinking about it made him want to hurl.

It made him wish the others would hurry up and finish the operation. He didn't know how much more he could take.

* * *

He'd just finished entering the last code when he pulled himself back up onto the top of the escort car. He'd cast scan much like Selphie had earlier, but he hadn't been able to see anyone in the car whatsoever. He thought that they had timed the last codes well – maybe they were checking up on their President. Either way, they'd gotten lucky.

Looking over across the way, Squall watched as Zell pulled himself back up onto the train – he'd finished entering his code as well. Not a moment too soon in Squall's opinion, they reached the final checkpoint, and while the rest of the Galbadians continued their course towards Timber, the Forest Owls and the President's car diverged. Whether the Galbadians suspected anything or not, it wouldn't matter; their mission was already accomplished.

Squall was the last one to re-enter the base. As soon as she'd gotten inside, Rinoa had run off to find Watts and Zone – she probably wanted to celebrate. Squall simply found Selphie and Zell – they were waiting for him in the room the technicians were sitting in.

"Yo," Zell said in greeting. Squall simply nodded at him.

"Mission completed!" Selphie said, grinning from ear to ear.

"So, what do you think they'll wanna do with the President?" Zell asked. "Maybe interrogate him? Or they'll probably force him to give Timber its independence, right?"

"The only way we'll know is if they tell us," Squall shrugged in response.

"Yeah, we should probably meet up with them," Selphie suggested. "They're probably waiting for us."

They made their way, single file, down the hallway and down the stairs to find Zone, Watts and Rinoa waiting for them, all of whom were grinning broadly. "You have no idea how long we've been waiting for this," Zone explained when he spotted them coming down the stairs. The Forest Owl's leader looked a little paler than he had before the mission had begun.

"Well then," Rinoa said, rubbing her hands together, "shall we get started?"

Watts looked up in alarm. "Gathering information..."

"Is your specialty," Zell finished, his tone flat. "We get it."

Zone, who had been crouching over in a corner, covered his mouth with his hand and turned away from them, apparently, trying to hold it in... whatever it was he could have possibly eaten beforehand. Rinoa simply shook her head in response. It looked like she was the only one interested in doing whatever they had planned. "You three," Rinoa said, looking right at them. "It's time to start with the serious negotiations."

Squall exchanged glances with Selphie and Zell as Rinoa walked over to the end of the train, taking the path that would lead them to the President. Serious negotiations? Was she serious? If she really was, then she wouldn't have been trying to fool herself. What they were about to conduct was an interrogation, and there was no doubt in his mind that it could get messy.

From the looks he received from Zell and Selphie, they were ready. Their junctions were in order in the event that they needed them.

Oblivious to what the SeeDs were doing, Rinoa whirled around to face Watts. "When Zone pulls himself back together, do you think you two could question those guards? Maybe find out more information?"

"What guards?" Selphie asked in confusion.

"Well, while we were uncoupling the trains, Zone found a couple of soldiers who wanted to be heroes," Rinoa explained. "Villains is probably the more appropriate term, but it's all about perspective, right? Anyways, they're unconscious and tied up at the moment. Zone told me about it when I met up with him before you guys came back. If there's anything else we need to know, they'll tell us."

"Shouldn't we wait then?" Zell asked. "You know, for the Intel? It might even affect how we interrogate Deling."

"It'll be fine," Rinoa said. "And anyways, I'm not expecting results right away. If it comes to it, I'll leave you guys with Deling and find out what Zone and Watts have found out."

The SeeDs exchanged another glance as Rinoa made her way to the President car. Squall didn't like going in without having anything to hold against the President, and from the looks of it Selphie and Zell didn't like it either. Honestly, he hoped that Rinoa at least had an idea of what she was doing otherwise they were just jumping the gun. The girl did strike him as the impatient type, and that's what was worrying him. Silently, the trio followed after their client.

The interior of the President's car was elegant looking, fitting for a high ranking government official like Deling. The windows were drawn by both blinds and curtain and a chandelier hung from the ceiling above their heads, while the floor was the same colour as the benches that looked like they were actually sofas. And sitting in one of the sofas was Vinzer Deling, wearing a navy blue suit, his dark greying hair combed back in a professional style, and his hands clasped together over the round wooden table that was placed in front of him, almost as though he were participating in a business meeting rather than about to be interrogated by his enemies.

Squall frowned slightly as he took in the surroundings. The man before them was without guard and at the complete mercy of the Forest Owls, yet he didn't look intimidated in the least. If anything, he was smiling, almost like he had expected this to happen.

Rinoa was oblivious to these signs. As soon as Squall and the others had entered, she folded her arms across her chest, standing directly in front of Deling. "Vinzer Deling," she snapped, her expression scowling. "You've no guards to come to your defence, and we've got you completely surrounded. As long as you don't resist, you won't get hurt."

Squall's frown deepened when he took notice of Deling's features. He seemed almost amused by what Rinoa had said, and he rose to his feet, even as Rinoa raised her left arm – some strange looking device was strapped onto one of the sleeves she wore. It was black and white, but from the distance he was standing he couldn't tell anymore than that, just that it looked like it could be a weapon. Maybe she really was taking this whole thing seriously after all.

However, Deling took none of this in and his lips turned upwards – the smile did not reach his eyes however, which looked rather cold, even for a dictator like the President. "And should I resist?" He asked, almost cordially. "What would you do then, young lady?"

Finally, the first stirrings of doubt seemed to have gotten to Rinoa and she backed up slowly, her weapon still raised. Selphie withdrew the nunchakus strapped onto her back and Squall gripped the handle of the Revolver tightly; something was definitely wrong here.

"What is this?" Rinoa asked, sounding outraged. Squall frowned slightly. Judging by her tone of voice, she seemed to see something that he had missed.

"Boo-hoo..." Deling said, his grin widening as he looked from her towards the others. "What a shame... you all must've worked rather hard to get to this point." He paced around and Rinoa made a sharp movement with her arm, though he paid the action no mind. "If I were you, I'd be rather pissed off if all of my hard work had gone to waste. Unfortunately for you, I'm not the President."

Zell's jaw dropped in shock as the body-double continued. "With all the rumours of Resistance Factions running around Timber, why do you suppose the Galbadian Government would let leak important information about President Deling's travelling schedule? It's because they _knew _someone was bound to try something, and it looks like you stupid lot are the flies that fell into our web. Looks like we're only dealing with a bunch of amateurs around these parts."

"Amateurs..." Rinoa asked, flushing in anger.

The body-double hadn't heard her. He stretched suddenly, but his neck suddenly bent back awkwardly. The sight took Squall by surprise, because no one should have been able to do that. "My ass is killing me from sitting all day, young lady..."

His voice was slowly beginning to distort and Squall withdrew the Revolver, stepping forward in case Rinoa needed their help. She seemed to have frozen in shock of this new predicament, even as the fake-President loomed closer to her. "So what... exactly... did you have in stoRE for Me SHOuld I haVE RESisTED?"

Selphie crouched down to the ground, clutching at her ears as she began to tremble. Zell was also starting to shake, his hands clenching and unclenching, and the back of his neck gave away that he had paled considerably. Even Squall found it difficult to keep a steady grip on the Revolver and cold sweat was dripping from his brow and trailing down the back of his own neck. There was something off about the body-double, something Squall wasn't at all looking forward to finding out.

"wHY DOn't yOU TEll mE?" There was foam frothing along the fake-President's mouth, the saliva bubbling and falling onto the ground as he continued to speak. He seemed unconcerned about this though. "qUIte AMUsing fOR being suCH AMAtuers!"

The body double continued to make its way towards Rinoa and Squall willed his feet to move – it felt like he was rooted to the spot, a helpless spectator watching what could turn into a slaughter. "HoW daRe YOU InSUlt tHe presIDent!"

Finally, he managed to detach the base of his boots from the red carpet and, gunblade in hand, Squall charged forward, slashing up and catching the body-double in the back. Now that he was moving, Squall wanted nothing more than to see this _thing_ lying on the ground as a pile of useless bone. The man – if he could be called that – whirled around and, miraculously _caught_ the bladed edge. Instead of wincing in pain like he'd expected, the body-double examined the predicament with such indifference it made Squall's skin crawl before the body-double grinned suddenly.

Gripping the blade tightly in both hands – Rinoa sinking onto the floor behind them – he threw Squall into a nearby wall, knocking the wind right out of him as he slid to the floor. He was just shaking his head when a shadow loomed over him; looking up he saw the impostor towering over him. "WEll, IF yOU WISh tO BE FiRSt, thEN SO Be iT!"

And with a grip Squall couldn't have fathomed being possible, the fake-President grabbed him by the throat and hoisted him up, slamming him hard against the wall. He then tightened his grip and the SeeD almost thought he was trying to crush in windpipe – he couldn't make a sound aside from gasps and choking noises.

Faintly, he heard the gunblade clatter to the floor, but he didn't care, instead using his now free hands to wrap around the iron-clad grip the fake-President had on his throat and concentrating on withdrawing it. The body-double grinned wider, and Squall noticed that his teeth had been bleached white, but the breath he exhaled as he opened his mouth was horrible – it was like some dead thing was breathing all over him. He would have gagged had he not been choking instead, but when the fake-President bent over to bite him, he knew he had to do something.

Willing his paralyzed body to do something, he brought his leg up and hit the soft spot right between the fake-President's legs.

The body-double went rigid for a moment – his grip on Squall's neck slackening – but an instant later something jumped onto his – it's – back, forcing the impostor to release Squall completely, who fell promptly onto his backside. He coughed hoarsely, rubbing at his throat, and when he looked up, he saw the fake-President struggling to get Zell – who had no doubt propelled himself onto his back – off of him. Zell wasn't having it. His arm was pressed against the impostor's Adam's Apple in a sleeper hold.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem to be working. Instead of growing weaker, the fake-President's movements seemed to grow stronger by the minute. Zell was almost thrown off a couple of times and had been forced to tighten his grip. Selphie was standing on the opposite end of the room, her nunchakus held tightly in her grip as she waited, assumably, for an opening to attack.

Grabbing the Revolver, Squall sprung onto his feet, but the fake-President managed to get Zell off of him finally – the brawler went careening into the Squad leader, and knocked the wind out of him once again. The pair landed in a heap on the floor and, almost instantly afterwards, two well aimed fire spells hit the back of the fake-President. He howled in pain as he whirled around to face Selphie, who was already preparing to launch a third one.

Zell pulled himself off Squall as he forced himself up onto his feet. Taking a look, he saw Rinoa staring at the fake-President, her arms wrapped around bent knees. She looked too scared to move. Squall wasn't complaining though; the less she moved around, the easier the battle would be.

"aMusINg... tHIs iS AmuSinG!" the fake-President laughed. Foam still dribbling from his mouth as he lunged towards Selphie, probably preparing to put her in the same strangle hold as he had Squall.

Neither Squall nor Zell wanted that to happen – who knew what the body-double would do to her should he bite her – and, assuming casting stances at the same time, opened fire with fire spells. They blasted into the fake-President's back, causing scorch marks to appear in the material of the jacket. He didn't seem to care, because his attention was fixed onto Selphie, who was backing up into the wall behind her.

Both SeeDs charged forward, Squall slashing at the impostor and Zell aiming a kick at the back of his head. Both attacks landed, knocking the fake-President into the wall next to Selphie, who immediately bolted away, breathing heavily as she did.

Even cornered as he was, the fake President continued to laugh still, and he turned his rotting toothy grin on them. "YOu...fEll...FOr...iT!" He snarled and he tackled Zell, pinning the brawler onto the ground. Squall and Selphie both went forward to try and pry him off him, but Zell didn't need their help. As quickly as he'd landed, he kicked the president off of him, and Squall realized – to everyone's horror – that he was now closer to Rinoa than to everyone else.

Rinoa seemed to realize this too – she covered her face with her hands and screamed out in terror, even as the fake-President loomed closer. All three SeeDs rushed forward, but before they could do anything else, Rinoa raised her left arm, the weapon strapped to it whirling audibly as she shrieked at the top of her lungs, "Get away from me, you freak!" A bladed weapon zoomed away from her, making an arcing formation before returning to its master's side.

The Fake-President just stood there for a moment – no one moved, no one dared to even breathe until they knew what was happening. But after that moment passed, the fake-President fell backwards onto the floor, his throat having been slit and dribbling chunky black blood all over the floor beneath him.

Zell gagged, covering his mouth with both hands as Selphie did the same. Squall forced himself to breathe through his nose – it wasn't comfortable – as he stepped over the corpse and moved towards Rinoa, who had collapsed into a fit of tears. Zell and Selphie were right behind him, the latter kicking the dead body for good measure as he passed it. Rinoa's shoulders shook as she sobbed and the three teenagers looked between each other at a loss for what to do. Finally, Selphie stepped forward, dropping into a crouch and awkwardly rubbing Rinoa's back, apparently hoping that would calm her down.

It seemed to work – a few minutes later, Rinoa's loud wracking sobs had died down into the occasional hiccup, and she'd stopped hiding her face behind her hands.

"Dude," Zell said, breaking through the tension between them. "Who just farted?"

Selphie glared at him while Rinoa laughed hoarsely and Squall just rolled his eyes in exasperation. "No, really," Zell said, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "What the hell's that smell?"

At that very moment, Selphie and Rinoa froze once again, not staring at the two males standing in front of them, but beyond them. After exchanging glances between one another, both Squall and Zell turned around to see what the fuss was about.

What they saw was revolting. The black ooze that had leaked out of the body-double was causing the flesh to melt, forming a large and disgusting looking puddle on the floor. All at once, the smell came whooshing over them. Squall, Selphie and Rinoa covered their noses with their hands and Zell held his arm out, using the sleeve of his hooded sweater to block out the stench. It was almost too overwhelming, it brought tears to his eyes and Squall tried to blink them away as best as he could – they were blurring his vision.

And just as they thought it was over, a giant decayed mass emerged from the dark puddle. Its face was like a skeleton that had flesh still clinging to its bone, and it had one shoulder that connected to its arm, the other arm looked like it was a part of its jaw line. Its right leg was long and slender looking with hardly any meat on it, but its left leg was a huge bloated mass of fat. Likewise, the hand that was attached to its chin was bloated as well, like half of him was malnourished while the other half was overfed. He wore no clothes; for the most part, he was genderless, and bits of flesh hung from his chest, legs and groin, almost like it were about to fall off.

"That's nasty," Zell said, his expression betraying his disgust.

Rinoa whimpered from behind and Selphie stepped in front of her, as though she were going to protect her.

It made a high pitched cry – everyone was forced to cover their ears and the feeling of dread became almost overwhelming. Still, Squall fought it and he charged forward once more, Zell at his heels having done the same. The SeeD raised the gunblade over his head, but the monster caught him in his oversized left hand, his fingers managing to wrap around his waist. Squall hacked at his wrists, and saw that the monster didn't seem to feel a thing. The creature stared at him through empty sockets with a pinprick of red light serving as pupils. The look was creepy and it was enough for Squall to freeze up again, his limbs refusing to respond as his breathing quickened.

"I gotcha buddy!" he heard Zell shout from nearby, and the brawler kicked at the monster's chest, his foot suddenly sinking into its stomach like he'd stepped in some kind of mush. "Aw, fuck! Gross!"

The monster seemed to weigh the two of them before tossing Squall aside, the SeeD landing on top of the table that the fake-President had been sitting at moments ago. The table broke under his weight, and Squall rolled onto the bench, knocking it back and falling onto the ground, wincing as he tried to pull himself back up.

Selphie was charging in next, the tendrils of the protect spell she must have cast fading around both her and Rinoa as she swung the nunchaku forward. The monster caught it and, with the flick of its wrists, flung her into the wall behind it. Selphie crashed head first into it before falling onto the ground, miraculously rolling and landing upright on her backside. She rubbed her head gingerly for a second before the monster grabbed Zell and tossed him into the diminutive SeeD.

Squall was the first to his feet and he charged once more, concentrating on fire and hoping it would work. He slashed at the monster, his blade white-hot from the fire junctioning, but once again he was tossed aside like a rag doll, falling just a few feet away from it.

From behind, Zell charged the monster, only for him to be grabbed and tossed on top of Squall, both of their heads hitting the floor beneath them hard enough to produce stars. Squall winced as he clutched at his head, and noticed the monster bend backwards before spitting some grey substance out. Squall and Zell had no time to move out of the way and opted to shield themselves from the spit up. Squall kept his mouth closed and his eyes shut tight in an attempt to keep it out of his mouth. He could only assume that Zell had done the same.

After he was sure the flow had stopped – he swallowed the bile that threatened to rise up just by the thought – and when he looked, he spotted Zell groping around on the floor, trying to find his surroundings. His eyes were open, that much Squall could tell, but they were inked black, a sign he'd been blinded.

Knowing that they couldn't afford any more disadvantages, he quickly rummaged through his items pouch for something that would remove the affect. He sifted through antidotes and potions before he produced a small bottle of eye drops. Zell meanwhile was crawling further away from the SeeD, probably trying to figure out where the monster was and, though he knew it was a bad idea, Squall pulled roughly on the brawler's foot before he could get too far out of reach. The action resulted in Zell falling flat onto his stomach and flipping himself up onto his back. The SeeD then attempted to keep Zell steady so he could administer the eye drops, only to get sucker punched for his efforts.

The momentum of the punch caused the Squad leader to fall back onto the ground, the eye drops flying out of his reach and landing over by Rinoa. As he rubbed at his jaw gingerly, he was thankful that he had his junctions - he was almost sure that the attack could've knocked his head clean off his shoulders if he hadn't had Quezacotl. He looked over towards where the eye drops had fallen, overhearing the sounds of the fighting continuing as Selphie took on the monster to distract him. But he was surprised, as he was pulling himself to his feet, to see Rinoa pick up the eye drop bottle and rush over towards the pair, her blue coat flapping behind her before she crouched down over Zell. "Could you give me a hand?" She yelled in his direction.

Knowing full well that as a civilian client she wouldn't have access to junctions, Squall pulled himself together and moved over towards the brawler, who had pulled himself into a sitting position. Knowing what would happen if he tried to force the SeeD back down, he balled a fist of his own and slugged the brawler with enough force to send him lying back down. Zell cursed loudly as Rinoa shouted at him indignantly but Squall didn't have enough time to listen to her. He pushed the brawler's shoulders into the ground and held him steady. After a moment Rinoa got the idea and poised the drops over the brawler's face and frowned. "He won't keep his eyes open."

"Dammit, Zell," Squall snapped. "Keep your eyes open!"

Zell seemed to register their voices because he slowly opened his eyes, the look on his features dropping when he realized he couldn't see them. Quickly, Rinoa administered the medicine and it cleared away the black gunk almost instantly, allowing the brawler's blue eyes taking in his surroundings as well as his present position. The two let the brawler back up again and Zell pulled himself into a sitting position before giving a reproachful look at Squall - he'd probably already figured out who punched him.

But before Zell could say anything, Rinoa gasped loudly. Squall looked over to see what she saw, and found himself watching as the monster held Selphie by her ankle - the diminutive SeeD was hanging upside down and squirming as she tried to dislodge her appendage from its hand. However, in the process, she knocked her item's pouch - which had been strapped precariously around her waist - into the monsters chest.

Suddenly the monster made a pained yell and tossed Selphie aside where she landed on top of Zell and thus knocking him back into the ground. Squall and Rinoa had had the sense to move out of harms way. Selphie groaned loudly as she pulled herself up into a sitting position. Zell did the same as she spoke, "Zell, your head's too thick."

Zell grimaced as he rubbed his forehead, but glared daggers in her direction. Rinoa asked them if they were alright, but Squall was taking in Selphie's pouch. Steadily the bottom of the object was becoming soaked. It was almost like something inside it broke. He looked back over towards the monster and saw that there was a very raw looking mark on its stomach, probably from where the pouch had made contact with the monster's skin.

Which meant that something inside Selphie's bag was the key to winning this fight.

"Selphie, look through your bag," Squall said. Selphie gave him a strange look but when she looked down, she caught sight of the stain and groaned loudly. "Forget about the stain. Something inside your bag broke and it hurt the monster. We need to know what it was."

"I'll help," Rinoa said, quickly catching on. Selphie pulled open the bag and began to search its contents.

"What're _we_ supposed to do?" Zell asked, indicating the monster. It looked like it was recovering from its wound.

"Distract it," Squall said with a verbal shrug and got back up onto his feet. Zell followed suit with a groan and the duo rushed forward to intercept the creature.

Squall concentrated on fire and saw the blade of his weapon turn a red tint. He slashed forward, catching the monster in its bloated leg before the creature lashed out with a swipe. Having been the victim of one-too-many of those attacks, Squall ducked the blow and tried again. The monster twisted so that it was facing the SeeD, which gave Zell the chance to hit it from behind. The studded knuckle gloves on the brawler's hands were glowing red, it was the only sign Squall could see that the brawler was doing the same thing he was.

They alternated attacks in an attempt to confuse the monster but just as Squall was about to take another swing, he was forced to duck when a glass bottle went sailing over his head and careened into the monster. It roared in outrage and, having caught Squall by surprise with its reaction, managed to knock the SeeD back into the ground. The monster did not pursue him, most likely it was being distracted by Zell.

"What was in that bottle?" Squall asked.

"Just a potion," Rinoa answered with a shrug. "It's kind of weird actually. It was the only bottle that got broken, and after she cast a spell, Selphie grabbed a potion bottle and threw it at the monster."

Beside Rinoa, Selphie tossed another bottle at the monster. It cried out in pain as Zell backed away, looking very confused. The skin that had been hit by the potion was beginning to bubble and froth like it had made contact with something it was allergic to.

For the first time since the fight had started, Squall grinned, before opening up his own items pouch and sifting through its contents. "What're you doing?" Rinoa asked.

"Do you have any potions?" Squall said instead of answering her. Rinoa frowned but nodded anyway. "Good. Chuck them at the monster."

"But what if we need them?" Rinoa asked in confusion.

"It's an undead monster," Squall explained. "The only way to kill it is to use cure spells or potions." He raised his voice suddenly, directing what he had to say next to Zell. "Cure spells and potions! It's undead!"

Zell got the message and threw his arm out. As a result, magical energy surrounded the monster, and the path that it had run around it caused the skin to raise irritably. It gave Zell the chance to make some distance between himself and the monster so he could start throwing potions.

Squall and Selphie threw more bottles of potion at the creature, refusing to give the monster a chance to recover before Selphie ran forward with another bottle. As Squall and Rinoa followed suit, Selphie tossed her bottle up into the air when the monster made to slash at her, causing it to smash the bottle instead, which resulted in it getting more of the curative potion all over its arm. It howled once again, even as Zell threw another bottle, the glass shattering as it hit it full in the face, and Rinoa aimed one of the bottles onto its oversized leg, the skin bubbling beneath the curative liquid while Squall splashed some of the curative liquid into the creatures face.

Each of them took turns whipping out bottles of potion and either throwing it at the creature, or tricking it into smashing them itself. Selphie grabbed her final bottle, and tossed it. Squall didn't know what she'd expected to happen, but the monster had opened its mouth wide in yet another howl, only to catch the bottle's front side in its mouth. The contents emptied down its throat (Selphie apparently had undone the cork before choosing to toss it), and it clutched at its neck as though it had swallowed poison. It writhed and twisted in agony while Zell, Rinoa and Squall were holding potions of their own poised to throw. However, were too mesmerized by the sight they were awarded with to actually follow through.

Smoke began to rise from the creatures mouth, who had spat out the glass bottle – it hit the wall and smashed into pieces – and its already decayed flesh began to rise and bubble, causing another wave of stench to surround them. Everyone covered their noses as the bubbling got worse. Soon the fumes were coming off the entire body, smoke rising above them and filling the air with its toxicity, but almost instantly after they reached the ceiling the sprinklers started up, raining water down on top of everyone and blanketing them with its element.

Finally, the monster moaned one last time before it collapsed onto the ground, causing more vapours to rise from its motionless body as it began to melt, staining a good portion of the carpet black.

"What was that _thing..._?" Rinoa asked as everyone took in deep lungfuls of breath. No one particularly cared that they were drenched in water.

"Like Squall said," Zell answered as he fell onto his knees. "It's an undead monster. That's why the potions were able to kill it. Its internal systems are different from living people like us."

"Yeah," Selphie took over when Zell couldn't speak any further. "They're immune systems protect them from diseases that would normally affect us. Actually, it kinda boosts their systems instead. But it can't stomach – no pun intended – things that would make us feel better, like potions or elixirs. Just think of them as backwards humans."

"But _why_ was it working for the Galbadians?" Rinoa asked – apparently the thought of more of those things coming after anyone opposed to Deling didn't sit well with her. Squall couldn't fault her for it.

They sat there in silence, with only the hum of the sprinklers overhead as background noise when suddenly a large crash from behind the door at the far end – the very door they had all come in from – could be heard. An instant later, the door opened and both Watts and Zone ran in, the waters from the sprinklers hitting them as they entered. "Sir!" Watts shouted. "The President's a fake! I've got important information..."

He trailed off as he took in the sight of Rinoa and the SeeDs and saw what was left of the undead monster. "Uh... I guess you already know.


	18. Chapter XVII: Defiance

**Edited: **_05/25/11 - Almost a year after I'd edited and I decide that this chapter needs a rehaul, adding a whopping 3k+ words to it. I Posted a notice on my profile beforehand for anyone who doesn't re-read chapters on their own, but I hope it makes this bit seem more believable and, well, better. Let me know what you think._

* * *

**Chapter XVII:  
Defiance**

* * *

"He sent _who_?"

He was seated behind a wooden table inside of a dull metallic coloured room, perched on a chair that wasn't at all comfortable. No matter how much he shifted, his backside protested if he stayed in one position too long. Was it too much to ask for a comfortable chair to sit on?

Directly across from him were the only two people he had ever trusted during his entire career in Garden. Fujin and Raijin watched him wearily, as though he were some unstable miscreant, who would lash out and cut their throats for the horrible news he'd just been given.

Okay, so he _was_ what some would consider to be unstable and he definitely couldn't argue with the miscreant label, but he wasn't keeping track of such insignificant details. Not now at least. Besides, he at least knew that it wasn't Fujin and Raijin's fault for the latest news he'd received. That honour belonged to Cid and Cid alone.

When Rinoa had called him up out of the blue and told him of her situation, he'd been more than happy to assist her. Despite all the reasons they had separated the last time he'd seen her, Seifer still considered Rinoa to be a trustworthy person. A little naïve, but loyal all the same. If she needed help, then he would do anything to provide it, even if it meant breaking a few rules in the process. Despite popular belief, he wasn't a total ass. He had a heart. It was just easier (and far more entertaining) to piss people off than it was to take the time and coddle them.

So when she'd asked to somehow broach the subject of her plight to Cid, he'd gone a step further. He'd told her about the Graduation ball that was coming up (by then the Field Exam was still a rumour, but he'd gathered enough information as the Disciplinary Committee chair to know that it was a fact), told her to wear the prettiest dress she could find and to swing by. He'd assured her that he would take care of the rest and she'd get an audience with the Headmaster.

While Headmaster Kramer wasn't really responsible for mission requests, he sure as hell wasn't about to trust something as important as this to that cow Xu. She always followed the book to the letter and she'd insist that if Rinoa's request for SeeD had been denied, then there must be a reason. She'd refuse to even look at the request again, saying it wouldn't be right to change their minds, especially since she'd applied several times by then. On the other hand, Cid was a bleeding heart. He'd sit down and listen to what she had to say. Hell, with any luck, he'd overrule the decision and give the mission his approval. It was his Garden after all, and he ran it as he pleased. Furthermore, the man could get the job done if it was of the utmost importance.

Of course it wasn't fair, but he was fucking doing it anyway. What was the point of having connections if you didn't fucking use them to begin with?

So when he'd finally met up with Rinoa at the SeeD ball, he'd taken her straight to the Headmaster to discuss the issue in person.

He'd let Rinoa do all the talking, knowing that with his recent antics he wouldn't add anything to her case and when she was done, the man had approved the mission and told her to wait a couple of weeks in order to prepare.

Seifer had been especially impressed by the tactic, realising that Cid was definitely taking this seriously, that he'd understood just how important this was. Two weeks seemed like ample amount of time to weed out the potential SeeD members he had at his disposal and it would give Rinoa and the rest of the Owls time to prepare as well. What Rinoa needed was professional SeeD members with a belt-load of experience to ensure they knew what they were doing.

He'd thought he and Cid had come to an understanding about this. But he couldn't have been more wrong.

As of this very moment, Cid's word meant shit all to him. Seifer had given him a simple job to do, and the old man had fucked it up into a shit storm that would spell disaster for everyone involved. Sending three fresh-outta-school greenlings to do a man's job was not at all what he'd expected, but Fujin and Raijin had no reason to lie to him. Hell, they were the least likely to lie to him at all. He might not have been a SeeD but sending _him_ would have at least been a step up in comparison. He at least had the battlefield experience in order to act accordingly. Those three nimrods had only seen battle in Dollet, and they'd all but pissed themselves throughout the entire thing!

He swore then and there that this was the absolute last fucking time he ever trusted Cid Kramer with anything more important than the contents of a paper bag. And even then it would depend on the kind of contents that paper bag held in its possession.

"The Headmaster said he tried his best, ya know," Raijin spoke in the elder man's defence. Fujin shot him a mutinous glare and the bigger man winced, no doubt afraid of being hit for the infraction. "But he couldn't get the kinds of SeeDs you asked for. The Garden Master heard about the contract and sent Squall and the other two out there because the client paid up front and it wasn't the amount he was expecting."

"Cid fucking _knows_ that this is _Deling_ we're talking about going up against," Seifer said, slamming his fists against the top of the table again, causing the pair across him to flinch by reflex. He was so furious it was amazing the SeeDs guarding the brig didn't come running in to investigate the commotion. "He knows what the risks are, and _still_ he's too fucking chicken shit to go against that piece of shit, Norg?"

"EMBARRASSING," Fujin agreed wholeheartedly.

"B-but there's nothin' we can do about it now, ya know," Raijin said tentatively. "I mean, what's done is done, right?"

Seifer scowled. He hated being told that he couldn't do anything. It just didn't sit right with him. If someone told him that a room beyond a door was off limits, his mind was already working on ways to get inside and investigate the inner workings of it. It was the same as this situation. From the outside, it didn't appear as though he could do anything from where he was, but there was _always _something that could be done.

That thought helped to calm him down some, and as a response he reclined against the impossibly uncomfortable chair he sat at. Fujin and Raijin exchanged uncertain glances between one another, but he paid them no mind. He knew they'd do exactly what he wanted them to regardless.

"Raijin, _never _say we can't do _anything_," Seifer remarked in distain as he turned his gaze to the ceiling above thoughtfully. He could feel a plan beginning to formulate throughout his mind, and despite the short notice of it all, he knew it would work. He'd ditched detention more times than the higher ups were willing to admit, only to prove he could. The only difference between then and now, was this time he was actually going to try. The bad thing for SeeD was there wasn't a damned thing anyone could do to stop him. "And I've just thought of something we _can_ do."

* * *

Seifer waited in his cell, tapping his foot impatiently against the ankle it was lying atop, with his hands folded behind his head. He was staring at the ceiling, much as he had done that previous evening when he'd first learned what had happened. While he looked bored, he was keeping an ear out for any sign that the plan was starting.

Had they sent SeeD members who would be due to start their first mission, Seifer was fairly – but not completely – sure that he wouldn't have been nearly as infuriated about all of this, but those three nimrods had no business being out in the field so soon when they had barely graduated two weeks ago.

A nagging voice in the back of his head wondered whether he would have been this infuriated if Squall in particular hadn't been drafted for the mission, let alone assigned as Squad leader, and Seifer promptly dropped an over-sized boulder on top of it. Whether Puberty Boy was a part of it or not didn't matter. Rinoa had asked _him_ to get SeeD to send their people over there to help, and she got stuck with fucking rookies.

_Okay, okay..._ he admitted mentally, _so _maybe_ Squall's involvement has a small and insignificant role to play..._

Squall didn't care about what happened to other people, or what their motives for doing what they did were. All he cared about was getting the fucking job done. As professional sounding as he was on paper, in real life the guy was a heartless asshole and had proven to be such for as long as he'd known him. Everything had to be by the book when it came down to it, which meant there was potential for the mission to turn sideways.

From personal experience, Seifer knew that the rule book was flawed. Everyone toted that rules were set in place for a reason but really all they did was get in the way. SeeD was, for the most part, trained to put the rules above all else, but in the end that could get a lot of people hurt or killed. Seifer had only failed the Field Exam because he'd bent the rules so far back they had become twisted and indiscernible, but he had done so to prove a point, that the job could get done without some stupid narrow-minded guideline. Because he had the tendency to think of his own, the higher-ups were too fucking scared to pass him and accept him as a member of SeeD. He'd stir up trouble real quickly if they ever chose to do so.

Squall, on the other hand, was like a fucking robot. If it wasn't in the guidebook, then it wasn't worth doing. He was too by the fucking book to give a shit about anyone else. However, a small part of him knew that this very valid fact wasn't the sole reason for his frustration and concern. In fact, a very _big _part of it was one of the things rolling around in his mind for the last fort-night.

The Graduation ball was already in full swing by the time he decided it was time to show up. He'd managed to sneak past the guards stationed around the ballroom (an easy feat since they probably wouldn't have been able to stop him even if they'd tried) only to realise that Rinoa had become bored and found a dance partner. This hadn't surprised him though. While she had proven to be stubbornly dedicated to any cause she set her mind on, she became bored very easily if left to her own devices. That was one of the things he'd liked about her. She had a brain and she knew how to use it. She wasn't book smart, but she had the sense to think on her own merits instead of letting people tell her what to think. Add to that her love of dancing and it was small wonder she'd found herself with someone on the dance floor.

What had surprised him was exactly _who _she'd managed to rope into dancing with her.

He couldn't put his finger on it but watching Rinoa dance with his long-time rival had struck something in him that he hadn't thought anyone was capable of doing. It almost tore him apart inside, and it was almost like watching the younger gunblader announce yet another victory over him, having passed the exam while he'd failed to do so (again). Now he was crouching over territory that he had no business stepping into in the first place.

It had taken everything in him not to go charging out there and stir up trouble, because he had more important things to deal with than picking a fight with Squall (for once). So he'd waited – no matter how much it had hurt to do so – until he'd managed to catch Rinoa's eye and get her back on track. He'd felt much better after that.

Granted, Puberty boy couldn't possibly have known about his past with Rinoa, not when he'd kept it such a guarded secret that not even Fujin and Raijin knew every detail. He'd met her in Timber almost a year ago when he'd decided to take a little vacation from the Garden. Everyone knew where he'd gone – it was impossible for the nosey assholes upstairs _not _to know, but what had happened in Timber stayed there. No one knew about it, especially not him. Nevertheless, it was the principle of the matter. Rinoa was his connection, no one else's. He wasn't the least bit bitter, not even a little bit.

He snorted to himself sardonically as the thought crossed his mind. Okay, he could easily admit that _that _was a total lie. He was most definitely bitter about the whole exchange, so much so that he'd given Rinoa a little lesson in just what kind of person her dance partner was. He'd spelled it out simply for her that Squall was a dick. She hadn't believed him. Sometimes, knowing that Rinoa knew how to think on her own was a nuisance, and she was so stubborn once she got something stuck in her head. So he'd dropped the issue, knowing that she'd realise the truth sooner or later. For now it would remain one of the things they failed to agree on.

This whole entire situation was Cid's fault to begin with. It wasn't fair to blame the old man, but Seifer was in the blaming mood and it fit to blame him for everything that had gone wrong since that night.

He sat up in his bed to look at the clock that hung on the far wall opposite his cell. It read 1312, which meant that it would be just a little after nine in the morning. There was no doubt that the greenies would have arrived sometime during the previous night, and they were probably strategizing with the Owls at that very moment. Seifer allowed himself to fall back against the cot, knowing that his plan was about to fall in place any minute now.

Sure enough, he finally heard the door open, permitting a visitor into the brig. He doubted it would be a visitor for anyone else, since he was really the only person locked down, so it only left one possibility. When he caught sight of Fujin's silhouette, he grinned privately to himself. She was right on time, as always.

Rising to his feet, Seifer moved over towards the bars of his cell, if only for something to do. Fujin, as diligent as always, was wearing the same blue jacket and jeans she always wore, but draped around her neck was a scarf that she purposefully dropped right in front of Seifer's cell. Assuming the pretence of an observant friend, Seifer bent down to pick it up, however the guard spotted the movement and was up on his feet faster than Seifer could blink. "I want to see that scarf," he snapped.

Seifer shrugged and held it out for him. Circling from around his desk, the guard headed right for him and snatched the garment out of the cadet's hands like it could potentially harm him. He started to examine it, more than likely certain that Seifer was up to something. Seifer almost smiled at the thought, because he'd have been sorely disappointed with his prison keeper if they hadn't caught onto his antics sooner than this.

Too bad Seifer was just too smart for them.

While the guard was adequately distracted, Seifer focused his attention elsewhere bringing forth an image of fire and blocked the sounds of Fujin demanding her scarf back out. He imagined the flames licking against a black backdrop, grasping out and preparing to spread its destructive powers and cause devastation and ruin in its wake. His hand clutched at the Guardian Force orb he'd managed to retrieve from the scarf before handing it over for inspection, his arm secured behind his back almost casually.

And just like that, he connected with the Guardian that lay slumbering within the spherical object. Belias wormed its way into his mind past defences he'd let down in preparation and when he opened his eyes his surroundings felt far more vivid than before, every detail afforded to him in crisp and clear transmission. Every insignificant detail around him stood out like a blaring flaw. The subtle shift of feet along stone ground, the shift of fingertips against fabric and the annoying buzz of a fly that had someone managed to sneak passed the guards and roam about the room without care.

Seifer snatched his arm out, catching the fly almost effortlessly, though holding it by its flapping wing. He hadn't killed it, and simply stared at the insect, watching as its nasty hairy legs twitched up at its face. He released the thing and watched it buzz around for a moment before turning his attention towards the guard, grinning in a way that would make monsters run for the hills.

The guard was so busy inspecting the stupid scarf that he didn't realise he was still within striking distance of the cadet. Seifer revealed this mistake to him by lashing out from behind the bars and wrapping his arms around an unsuspecting neck before forcing the man against the bars, effectively pinning him. The man dropped the scarf in his shock and instead attempted to pry his neck free, though to no avail. Seifer was far stronger than him now that he was junctioned to Belias. Pressing his forearm against the guard's windpipe, Seifer cut off his oxygen supply and simply waited as the man's attempts grew more frantic. It was over in a matter of minutes and the now unconscious man slumped against the bars uselessly.

Uncaringly, Seifer released his grip and watched as the man slumped down onto the ground. He wouldn't be waking up soon and Seifer tisked, as though watching a man who had fallen asleep on the job.

Crouching down, Seifer picked at the guards pockets. A shift of movement drew his attention towards Fujin, who was just rearranging the scarf around her neck after having bent down to retrieve it. Ignoring her easily, Seifer found what he was looking for and rose to his feet before unlocking the cell door with the stolen key in hand. Once outside, he instructed Fujin to help him with the guard.

As they dumped the man inside the cell that he had occupied moments ago, the cadet couldn't help but wish Raijin was here instead but shrugged the thought off. The bigger man would have been helpful with the lifting but he was far too reluctant for his liking. More importantly, Raijin couldn't act his way out of a paper bag. He would have sent alarm bells to the guard whether it was intentional or not. Fujin was much more direct and asked fewer questions of conscience. She was most definitely the wiser choice of the pair.

With the cell door locked, Seifer watched the guard in contemplation for a second before making a decision. He threw his hand in the direction of the prone man and watched as a puff of white smoke appeared above him, with smaller white puffs leading towards his mouth. After another second passed, the smoke vanished, dispersing with the para-magic that had formed it. No one would hear him, at least not while the silence spell was in effect.

"Keep things interesting while I'm gone," Seifer said to Fujin when she handed him the Hyperion. It had originally been hung along the wall as a means of taunting the cadet, but the girl had grabbed it shortly after they'd dumped the sap inside of the cell. Once the handle of the weapon was in hand, he handed Fujin the key, of which she deposited inside of her coat pocket.

She nodded low and silently, the look in her eyes conveying that she disagreed with what he was doing. But she wouldn't argue. She knew better. He couldn't just sit there and wait for the Garden's fuck up to come back and bite them all in the ass.

He busted open the locker that held his personal effects, including his silver trench coat, metal choker and gloves. Pulling them on one at a time, he finished by flexing the lapel of his coat like he was some kind of mobster. He flashed a devilish smirk in her direction before he charged out of the room.

* * *

"Watts managed to get some information about Deling," Zone said as he sat down in a chair positioned backwards. His arms were resting along the top of the chair and his head atop his arms with his legs spread, feet flat against the ground.

Everyone was back in the room they had received their briefing. No one had bothered to clean up since they'd woken up that morning, because the sheet that Rinoa had grabbed earlier was still currently draped overtop the train model, like it had been when they'd first left. At the back of the room, Squall, Selphie, Zell and Rinoa were sitting in chairs that Watts had secured, draped in towels and wearing spare changes of clothing. Selphie was currently rubbing her towel furiously through her hair in an attempt to dry it, but it wasn't serving as a distraction.

Once they'd dealt with the fake President, they'd taken a detour from their destination in order to ditch the Presidential car. It currently sat on the outskirts of the Timber region where the authorities would find it and no trace whatsoever of the kidnappers responsible for its disappearance. Currently, they were enroute to town. Because their exposure to the sprinkler systems had been relatively short, Zone and Watts were comfortable enough, but the remaining four had become completely drenched in water, so much so that it had been decided to take a quick break before reconvening. The SeeDs hadn't taken very long and everyone had met back in the briefing room once they were ready.

"Unfortunately, you guys had already gone out to confront the fake when we found this out, but it turns out the President arrived in town sometime last night," Zone was explaining grimly. "He's been staying at the hotel, and no one else's been able to stay there because of the armed guards acting as additional security. They made it a point to stay inconspicuous until this morning."

Rinoa was scowling. Selphie could tell just by looking at her that she wasn't happy the information had come this late. "So why weren't we able to find this out until now?"

"Because the government sent the falsified information to their soldiers as well," Zone said with an exasperated sigh. "They wanted the trap to be authentic, and for that to happen they needed their soldiers to believe it was the truth as well. Only a select few were actually informed of the switch. We're lucky we got a hold of one of them, even if we _still_ fell for the trap."

Selphie frowned. She knew they should have scouted the area last night when they'd first arrived, but the Forest Owls had been so sure of their gathered Intel that they'd never thought the added surveillance was necessary. It would've saved them a lot of time and effort in the long run if they had. "So what exactly _was_ that thing anyway?"

"The impostor?" Zone asked.

Neither Zell nor Squall looked impressed with the question and Zone managed to take a hint. "Well, obviously the soldiers on the train didn't know they were transporting the fake President, probably because Deling wanted them to act the part and well, we already know what _he's_ like. Anyways, Watts did some background on that and it turns out that the thing you guys fought was the end result of an experiment. Of course we know Deling's probably had a hand in tons of experiments."

"That narrows it down," Zell sarcastically quipped.

"But because of the description of the monster you guys gave us, it helped to narrow the search a little. Watts gave me the specs while we...erm…um…" Zone trailed off at the withering look Rinoa gave him and coughed awkwardly.

Selphie knew what he'd been about to say regardless of his trailing off. Once they'd gotten back into the base, Rinoa had demanded to take a shower and change her clothes before the debriefing began. Rinoa herself was wearing a t-shirt and a pair of black pants with her hair wrapped up in a towel. They hadn't had the time to wait for her to blow-dry her hair and she was crabby and irritable because of it.

"Anyways," Zone waved off the awkward moment. "We found that the experiment had been deemed 'Operation Gerogero', after the scientist who headed the proceedings. The short half of it is they took a living organism - a human being from the looks of it - and experimented on it for the result of the zombie."

Squall frowned at the nickname and Selphie giggled in response. To SeeD, zombies were just a name given to a living corpse by movie producers. The correct categorisation was an undead creature. She guessed it was just easier to associate them with the brain-eating monsters.

Zone continued regardless. "Now, Deling must've thought up the 'brilliant' idea to use the Gerogero experiment as the body double, so my guess is they altered the monster's appearance to make him look like the President to fool us."

Zone ran his hands through his short hair twice and cursed under his breath, shaking his head as he looked back up at them. "And I can't _believe_ we didn't see it coming."

"_I_ can't believe we didn't see it coming," Rinoa agreed bitterly.

Selphie nodded thoughtfully, knowing that they really should have expected something like this. If SeeD had heard of the rumours of the resistance factions in Timber, then why wouldn't the Galbadians? And even if they had thought they were simply rumours, the little exercise they'd pulled would obviously prove otherwise. An operation could only work if they could assess the reactions of the enemy, and the Galbadians had the Forest Owls beat there.

"So I guess we just go back to the drawing board," Rinoa sighed, throwing her hands up in the air in her frustration. "Deling's here already, and _now_ he'll be expecting us to try something, so we can't talk to him directly."

"We should be back in Timber in a little bit," Zone said as he checked his watch. "The Galbadians didn't see what our base looks like on the outside, so we should still be okay. They saw Watts and me, or at least the pair we knocked out did, but the rest of you should be alright to move around. So whatever plans we come up with, you guys will have to execute it yourselves."

* * *

Suddenly the alarms sounded, shattering the silence that had fallen around them and startled her out her own thoughts forcing her to jump in her seat. Immediately on alert, Xu removed the handle of the phone from its home on the cradle and dialled a three-digit number, listening with irritation to the beeps that sounded before she finally received a response. "What's the situation?" She barked over the phone.

"The alarm was set off in the brig," responded the head of security.

Xu scowled. She should have known it had been too quiet the last two weeks. Seifer had most definitely been up to something and was choosing now to implement it. "Send a team down there and lock it down. I don't want any bodies moving in or out of there until he's been locked up again, do you understand?"

"Yessir," was the response before the line went dead.

Xu slammed the object down against the cradle and linked her fingers together, her gaze falling onto her computer as she stared through it. The only thoughts in her mind now were the questions regarding Seifer's actions. Why would he wait until now, of all times, to pull something?

She sat up suddenly as an answer made itself apparent. It couldn't have to do with that mission the Headmaster was overseeing, could it? Had Seifer wanted to participate that much that he would act like this?

She knew she shouldn't speculate without all the facts, which was why she grasped the handle of the phone once again and put it to her ear as she dialled another number. "Headmaster, this is the Lieutenant. We need to talk."

* * *

They ran down the stairs in formation, their backs never being left exposed as they reached the hallway leading to the brig. Without speaking a word to one another they passed down the hallway weapons primed and ready to shoot anything that got in their path. The group leader signalled for the pair in the back to search down a corridor and sent another pair to do the same in another direction. The remaining four proceeded with him to their destination.

They reached the holding area where detentionees were normally held. On the count of three, they forced the door open and held their weapons up, expecting to find resistance.

But it wasn't what they found.

Instead they found a severely peaceful looking holding area, but it wasn't completely a fruitless find. The guard on shift was currently passed out in the cell that Almasy was supposed to be occupying, and seated at the front desk with her legs propped up atop scattered paperwork was Fujin, reclining almost comfortably with her hands resting behind her head.

Instantly all weapons were aimed at the silver-haired girl, who simply stared back at them uncaringly through the one eye that was not shielded by her eye patch. Wrapped around her neck was a transparent red scarf, something that looked out of place on the tomboy.

Signalling for one of his men to release the trapped guard, the group leader turned his attention towards the girl before him. "Where's Almasy?"

"GONE," she answered with what amounted to a verbal shrug.

He growled in frustration. Fujin had a horrendously annoying habit of speaking one worded sentences, usually containing description of feelings, instead of speaking the way that most people did. He didn't know why she opted to do it this way. Frankly, he didn't care. Somehow, he doubted she would give them the answers they desired even if she spoke normally.

What was worse was the Lieutenant had ordered a lockdown of the area. Judging by how comfortable Fujin had seemed when they'd arrived, he'd already left the level. They'd been locked in place for no reason.

"Restrain her," he practically spat in order before he activated the communicator strapped onto his shoulder. "All available units, be advised we have a code 3-4-8-D. Suspect has escaped detainment. Remove all safeguards and cancel lockdown."

* * *

Seifer didn't expect to not get spotted in his endeavour. In fact, he was counting on it. So when the alarms went off he wasn't concerned about getting caught. He'd instructed Fujin to wait a while until pulling the alarm and sending the Lieutenant's guard dogs downstairs. If all had gone accordingly, she'd initiated a lockdown and had them trapped down there.

After all, by-the-book types were just so fucking predictable.

Unfortunately because of the combination of the alarms and the potential of a lockdown, the elevators were rendered useless. He would have to take the stairs. It would take longer, but he'd reach his destination regardless. He wasn't all that concerned.

He bypassed the door that would lead him to the ground level, knowing full well that the Front Gate would be heavily guarded. It wouldn't have been an issue if he'd really wanted to chance it, but he wanted everyone in the Garden to know what he was doing, to know where he was going. Maybe then they would learn not to take smaller factions like the Forest Owls' so lightly next time.

He burst through the door leading into the second floor hallway at the very moment that SeeD members were rounding the corner. Not having expected that, he ducked back behind the door as they opened fire, spraying bullets into the object. He knew they wouldn't be aiming to kill. Xu wouldn't dare order such a thing, not with Cid hanging over her shoulder. The old man's coddling sure came in handy at times, even if he was fucking useless. No, Cid would ensure that they simply incapacitated him enough to capture him.

From behind the cover of the metal door he hid behind, Seifer threw out a spell, watching as the particles of magic danced from his fingertips and formed a protective blue shield. The bullets pounded into them, taking the hits that should have turned him into a cheese grater.

Seifer made a mental note to thank Fujin for retrieving Belias for him. While most Guardian Forces couldn't stand him (which was fine by him, as the feeling was mutual), Belias had gotten used to him enough that he would at least tolerate doing his bidding. They'd reached an understanding through mutual distaste and for that Belias was the sole GF allowed into the cadet's head.

The cadet stood his ground as the gunfire ceased – the SeeDs had figured out quickly that gunfire wasn't going to cut it. But before they could switch to magic spells, Seifer blasted out with a spell of his own, watching as the Aero attack pushed them away. The ones standing in front barrelled into their comrades, creating a humanoid domino effect that would have been entertaining had Seifer possessed the time to watch. With them distracted, Seifer took off in the opposite direction at a sprint. As he turned the corner, he could hear the SeeDs mobilising behind him.

Continuing at this pace, Seifer knew it would only be a matter of time before they caught up to him. The second floor was a giant ring overlooking the ground level, and there was no way to deviate and circle back in order to lose the SeeDs.

Noticing the turn he had been looking for he took it, raising his arms in defence as a couple of shots nicked the wall just above his head. Still, he continued, but stopped short when he caught sight of the SeeDs who had been lying in wait for him. The majority of the group was crouched down, weapons raised and primed to fire, with one man standing at the very back. The fucktard issued the order to fire and Seifer was barely able to act quickly enough that the blue shield protected him from the onslaught of bullets.

He smirked suddenly before strengthening the power he fed into the spell and the bullets blasted back towards their targets, colliding through uniforms and drilling through flesh, as though they'd been repelled. In truth, they had been. Seifer had concentrated the spell well enough that it was like launching into a wall of Plexiglas. If primed at just the right angle, the bullets would bounce back at the ones who shot it off. It was just fucking perfect that these particular SeeDs had impeccable aim.

Many of the ones who'd taken the bullets were left incapacitated. Seifer watched in detachment as they cradled hands, chests or in some cases throats as the blood was spilt along the ground. Seifer especially found poetic justice in the knowledge that the one who had issued the order to fire had been hit by a stray bullet. He was currently slumped against the wall with his eyes open, a trail of blood running down the side of his nose from the hole that had been forged into his skull.

_Well deserved, _Seifer mused as he prepared his next move. Many of the people in front of him were still prepared to fight despite their own injuries or the injured forms of their comrades. As much as he'd loved to show these assholes their place, he didn't have much in the way of time to do so. He'd have to cut this short.

Concentrating on his spell, he caught sight of several of the SeeDs steeling themselves. Seifer almost laughed as he realised what they were thinking, so transparent they were when they were in pain. As much as he'd loved to finish them off, he had bigger fish to fry and there was no time to play around. So he threw his spell forward with a grin that was wider than a shark's, unsurprised as the movements around him suddenly slowed their pace.

Knowing now that he would be undeterred in his objective, Seifer stepped forward. He would be nothing but a blur to them now, enveloped as they were in the massive slow spell he'd just cast. He found himself breathing deeply though, as the spell was powerful enough to sap his reserves. It was only because of Belias that he hadn't collapsed from fatigue, and he couldn't afford to do so now.

So he continued to walk forward, musing to himself that Time really was a fickle mistress. It could either pass by far too quickly to be discernible or agonisingly slow to draw out the tension, depending on the circumstances. But there were such spells that could affect the flow of time and the Slow spell was merely one of them. The duration of the spell was only temporary, because only the most notably prevailing were truly able to keep a reign on such power.

Wouldn't it be a shock to learn that a mere cadet of the Garden had been able to master this particular spell in a mere few months' time? Wouldn't it blow SeeD's mind to know just how truly gifted he really was after constantly referring to him as a wash-out?

Wouldn't Squall be surprised to learn that this three-time _failure_ of the Field Exam could wield this much power?

And the fact of the matter was, this spell had not been conceived to him by one of the hack instructors, or even another SeeD member. No, it had come to him in a dream. The very dreams that had intrigued him for the last few months now had fuelled his curiosity in this respect, enough to allow him the motivation to learn these kind of Time spells. Very few people had the potential to even grasp at the powers behind them, and yet he was one of them. All that hard work and patience had finally born fruit.

By this time he had passed the SeeD members who had barred his path and was standing outside along the balcony. The breeze that brushed past him was refreshing. It had been far too long since he'd felt the air about his skin. This must have been what a war-prisoner, long tortured by his enemy, felt after finally obtaining freedom. He felt fresh, rejuvenated, so much so that he forgot his previous fatigue.

By then the effects of the spell had worn off and he could hear the SeeDs beyond the door that barred them scrambling into formation. He was sorely tempted to call them to him, to bid them farewell while he set off to right the wrongs that had taken place but he stopped himself short of raising his hand. It would only serve to waste more time if he did that.

So leaving them to their confusion, he concentrated on a spell he'd learned only recently. In comparison to the Slow spell, this one was a far easier feat and had only taken him a couple of days to master properly. It had helped watching someone else cast the spell before him, giving him the sense of what should happen. So he was unsurprised when white feather wings sprouted from his back, nor was he surprised when he was lifted off the ground simply by concentrating on the freshly formed appendages, guiding him away from the balcony – away from the Garden – and towards Balamb Town.

* * *

"I _told_ you..." Xu said as she paced the length of the room and back. "I _told _you something like this was bound to happen. We should have just expelled him and gotten it out of the way."

Cid had watched the Lieutenant pace back and forth across the room for the last five minutes since she'd arrived to report to him. For his credit, he hadn't said a word when she'd first told him what Seifer had done. Instead he had listened to her tirade and was waiting for her to finish. It had been an hour since the alarms had been set and even longer before they'd realised Seifer had escaped them. The little magic trick he'd pulled in the hall had been discovered when they'd gone over the surveillance tapes, slowing the speed until they had discerned his movements enough to know what had happened. The bastard had slipped out right from under their noses and had made them all look like fools.

When confronted with Seifer's escape, Cid had explained everything in regards to the mission that had been so important, special documentation had been forced to be written up. Xu had stunned by the time he'd finished and outraged that his latest escape ploy had been because of some _girl_'s resistance operation.

"This is probably just his way of getting some kind of credit," Xu continued, irritable and insulted. The Headmaster had gone behind her back in order to make this mission happen, probably because he'd known what she would have to say should he bring it up to her. _She_ was supposed to be the one responsible for looking over mission specs, dammit. He'd made her feel like a lowly secretary by going behind her back. "He was _always_ out for glory. He probably expected you to send him to Timber _regardless_ of whether or not he joined SeeD..."

"Seifer knew he wouldn't be going anywhere should he remain a cadet," was Cid's only interruption. Apparently, he'd felt it was best to express that fact forthright.

"...Not to mention how he's going to jeopardise the team there. What could _possibly_ be so important about Timber of all places? That _is_ where Fujin and Raijin said he was going, right?"

Cid was still silent and when she had no more to say, he finally chose that moment so speak. "Seifer has friends in Timber, Xu. He went there during summer break, as you will probably recall. It was because of Seifer that the mission in Timber is underway."

"As you've already explained," Xu responded as politely as she could manage. Cid was always taking liberties with Seifer, what was one more to add to the list? She couldn't help but wonder why Cid simply refused to give up on the cadet. He was a lost cause. Everyone else had come to that conclusion. Why was he being so stubborn about it?

"The young lady who approached me about the possibility of a contract was escorted by Seifer to my office, where we spoke privately."

"You know what Norg's going to say about that," Xu said through an exasperated sigh. It would add fuel to the fire, and given the liberties he'd allowed two weeks ago prior to the field exam, it was just another nail in the elder man's coffin. Unfortunately, Xu was one of the very few people who were aware of this fact. "That you take far too many liberties with him."

"I can admit that it is a fault of mine," Cid explained. "But I truly believed that the Forest Owls had every intention of carrying out their plans of independence. I think it would be easier, however, if they received the assistance of trained professionals."

"Then why send those three?" Xu scoffed in confusion. "They're hardly battle ready."

Cid sighed. "_That_ was Norg's doing. He wished to punish me for authorising a request of SeeD without his input. As you have no doubt noticed, he's becoming more and more difficult to reason with nowadays. Were he to learn who brought the mission specifics to me in the first place, I believe he would have every ounce of proof to discredit my control of this Garden with the higher ups, and to take over officially."

Xu frowned in contemplation. Politics, it was always about politics. The Garden Council would eat him alive if they realised he was playing favourites. That is, if they didn't already know. But she couldn't wrap her head around what had just been explained. "So he sent three rookie SeeDs out into the field long before they were ready _just_ to get back at you?"

"I'm aware of how petty it sounds, and to be honest I had expected a lot more from Norg. But what's done is done, and I have the utmost confidence that Squall's team will accomplish the Forest Owls' goal."

"But what are we going to do about Seifer?" Xu asked, bringing the subject back around. "If Norg's looking for evidence that your judgement is in question, he'll want to get to Seifer first. The fact that he's injured a number of SeeD members during his dramatic escape isn't going to help matters. Anyone in the field will be looking for an excuse to knock him around if they find him."

"Yes, I am aware of that," Cid leaned back in his chair, his hands still clasped together. "SeeD will definitely pursue him and attempt to bring him back, but by now he's probably already reached the outskirts of the town. Even if they travel by Garden car, it may already be too late to catch up to him."

"And you're calm about all that, because...?"

Cid smiled. "A team that was dispatched nearly two weeks ago has already returned to the town. They have not left, and I have already given them orders to keep an eye out and to delay him until back up has arrived."

"You don't mean...?" Xu started but cut herself off. It seemed obvious what the elder man was saying, but still she had to know. "Who exactly is on this team in Balamb Town, Headmaster?"

Cid simply smiled in response. "She's not _entirely_ out of practice when it comes to field work, you know. Despite her reprieve from the field, I'm certain she'll know what to do."

* * *

Silently cursing Seifer, she patrolled the streets, searching all over for any trace of the missing cadet. It had only been a matter of time before he pulled a stunt like this, so why do it today? Of all days to pull of this stunt. It felt totally redundant, special in no way she could understand.

She didn't know the exact details of his escape, only that he'd orchestrated it after weeks of being on his best behaviour. Honestly, Quistis didn't know what she was thinking when she'd figured Seifer had finally learned his lesson. Seifer was Seifer after all. He never knew when to learn.

Gripping the handle of her weapon firmly, she continued down the busy street, searching for any trace of the troublesome cadet. It was nearly 1400 hours and the hustle and bustle of the small fishing community was making it difficult to make anything out. She could barely even spot the rest of her team, who had become separated from her once the rush had started. Fortunately everyone was astute enough to communicate via the earpieces they had taken along for their mission.

Quistis scowled as she continued her fruitless search. It would've been just like Seifer to time his escape to the midday rush. The fact that everyone on her team was dressed to blend in did not help their situation any, as it made it harder for her to pinpoint them as well as their target. Should one of them encounter Seifer, the rest of the team might not reach him in time to properly surround him.

He'd definitely thought of everything when he'd come up with this plan. It was definitely not something he was doing because he was bored. This put her on edge all the more, because Seifer only ever escaped detention just to prove that he could. Who knew what to expect now that he was actually trying?

Tightening her grip on the weapon, she silently promised herself to show Seifer ample amounts of pain when she got her hands on him.

Despite how horribly difficult it was to spot anyone she recognised, she knew Seifer well enough to know he'd be wearing his trademark trench coat. In comparison to the humble attire the townsfolk were accustomed to wearing, it was like spotting a blue blemish amidst a white canvas.

"Almasy's been spotted!" Those words brought Quistis out of her own inner musings.

"Location?" She snapped, speaking into the microphone positioned on the lapel of her peach coloured shirt.

"Heading north from the hotel!" The voice confirmed and she whirled around, frowning suddenly. She cursed under her breath. She was well within sight of the hotel, so how the hell had he managed to get past her?

Nevertheless, that made her the closest to his location and she started off at a run to close the distance. "On my way."

Quistis cut off communications and started back the way she'd come, bumping into people as she pushed her way through the crowd. Many of the people she cut across shouted after her while others muttered that something was wrong with her – her junctioned ears could pick up anything they said and most of it stung, but she pushed all thoughts of it to the back of her mind, focusing on the task at hand.

Finally becoming frustrated by the number of people in her way, she jumped into the street and ran along the road. Not very many people drove in Balamb - the road simply being there for transport or for SeeD's convenience – but nevertheless she received quite a bit of attention as she passed people by.

She stopped at the junction that separated the residential sector from the stores and looked down the path that led to the Hotel. She couldn't see anyone fitting Seifer's description, but she managed to track down one of her team-mates. He saw her first and was running towards her even as she acknowledged him. "Sorry, ma'am. Lost him."

"He's heading past the item's shop!" Another of her teammates sounded via com link. "I think he's going for the train station!"

"Stop him!" Quistis said as dread sunk in. If he got on that train then there was no way of stopping him from reaching Timber. Even if they boarded a train in pursuit it would be far too late once they reached the other continent. He'd have disappeared by then.

The station wasn't that far from the item's shop – if anything he was probably inside already. It'd take forever to convince the officials to allow them to stop the train while they detained the student. By the time the red tape had been cut through, Seifer would be long gone.

"Try to cut him off at the train station, and contact me as soon as you do."

"But why...?" He'd barely had the time to get the question out. Quistis was already darting off towards the nearest building. Concentrating on her stock of magic, she threw the spell around her, and when she jumped she stayed afloat, the float spell guiding her towards the roof of the nearest building.

From her ear piece, she heard the constant updates on Seifer's position – she had been right, he'd already entered the station. The sales person had recognised his description. Frowning to herself, she ran across the rooftops – the float spell having dissipated upon touch down – and she searched for the quickest route to her destination.

A few minutes later, she heard the voice of one of her team mates, "He's on the train, and it's leaving the station! We can't get to him in time."

"Contact the Garden," Quistis order. She'd already thought of a backup plan. "Tell them that I'm in pursuit and I'll keep the officials updated."

"Quistis, I just said that we can't get to him on time! He's already on the train!"

"I _know_ that!" Quistis said, stopping when she'd reached an adequate spot. "Standing by." She disconnected for a moment – she'd need all of her concentration to time this just right.

Just below her were two sets of tracks that melded into one as it entered the station. From her past experiences, the farthest track was reserved for return trips, while the one closest to her were for trains leaving Balamb. It was the exact same in Timber. Steeling herself, she watched for the train, spotting it turning towards her and, counting backwards from three, she jumped, landing roughly on the roof and hurting her shoulder in the process. Had the train not been so loud, she was certain she would have heard the sounds of gasping civilians – it would have been a surprise that her presence on a rooftop had not alerted any attention at all.

She managed to grip onto the roof and kept herself low, knowing that the tunnel was coming up. The last thing she wanted to do was to get knocked off while standing after all she'd done to catch the train in the first place. Aware of the danger that high speed in a confined space created, she wrapped her whip tightly around a bar that ran along the top of the train, and then threaded the handle end into her utility belt. No one wanted to be strapped to a 200 mile per hour vehicle and have no safety rope, and she was no different.

Re-establishing contact with her team, she yelled over the roar of the wind that was whipping her hair every which way. "This is Trepe! I'm on the train, repeat, I'm on the train and in pursuit of Seifer Almasy. Contact the Headmaster and the Lieutenant. They shall receive constant updates on the situation!"

She didn't keep the communicator on long enough to receive an answer and searched around before she began crawling to the middle of the train. While Seifer was a person who preferred luxury to the ordinary, it would have proven unwise of him to separate himself from a crowd. Knowing him, he would have anticipated someone getting on the train somehow and attempting to tail him.

Fortunately for her, she had much more experience blending into a crowd than he had.

Now all she had to do was find a way inside...


	19. Chapter XVIII: The Real Objective

**Edited: **_02/02/09_

**Edited: **_05/30/10_

* * *

**Chapter XVIII:  
The Real Objective**

* * *

If he was being honest with himself, then he had absolutely no clue just how much more of this he could take.

Almost an entire day had passed since the attempted kidnapping and, embarrassingly enough, they had done _nothing_. He had no idea what kind of operation to expect, not even a hint as to what they were going to do now that they knew Deling was already in town. No one had any idea why the President wanted to come to Timber in the first place, what his objective was or even what kind of adverse affects the citizens would be left to deal with when his business was concluded. They didn't even have a real time frame to work with, though Squall was more than positive that the president's stay would be short. Now that the rumours of the resistance factions had been confirmed, the man had enough reason to expect them to do anything else. Staying longer than he had to would only encourage them to try.

Fortunately they _did _seem to have one thing going for them. The blitz attack on the train had gone mostly unnoticed and, while the enemy knew that it had happened, they had done nothing to find the perpetrators as of yet. It had to mean they had no idea where the Forest Owl's train had come from, or even where they were now. The only thing they could possibly do was to wait for another attempt, and Squall had a feeling that the government was loathe to admit it, since there were no televised broadcasts pointing out the attempted attack. The only ones who had seen any of their faces (or at least the Forest Owls' anyway) were the two soldiers who were being held against their will in one of the rooms aboard the base.

They were disorganized, but clearly not as stupid as he'd initially thought.

Still, the Forest Owls did not instil a great deal of faith in Squall. In fact, it got him wondering just how they'd managed to keep their operation as quiet as they had for this long. He guessed it helped if there were other factions in the town (or so the rumours said), but judging from their performance alone, he would have believed this particular group to have dropped the ball a lot sooner than now.

To emphasise this fact, they had absolute nothing, and he wasn't just considering knowledge of the situation. There wasn't even any attempts at finding out all they could. There were no plans formulating between group members on their next objection, or even ideas on how to utilise the prisoners they had in the best possible way. They hadn't even thought to communicate among the other resistance factions to find out if anyone else had figured anything out. Instead, they went about a routine that was so pedestrian it made Squall wonder if they really were just amateurs after all.

Which got him wondering just how much longer he would be forced to endure this farce of a mission.

From the behaviour of his team-mates, he could tell they were beginning to wonder the same thing. Between the fight with the 'Gerogero' creature and the present, Zell and Selphie's demeanour towards the Forest Owls (and the whole mission as a whole) had taken a drastic turn. They weren't nearly as enthusiastic to lend a hand as they had when they'd originally been introduced, and they weren't quick to throw any ideas out either (which, Squall conceded, was half the problem). He made it a mental note to look over the specifics of their contract the next time they were in the same room as the Resistance. At least then he'd have a time line to go by. Maybe even something to look forward to.

Having grown bored with just waiting, Squall had taken it upon himself to take a look around the train, though to be honest there wasn't much to see that he hadn't already. They had arrived back in Timber a short while after the disaster that could be called a mission, and even though he was beginning to suffer from cabin fever, he thought it wouldn't be a good idea to step outside, at least not yet. He was still a foreigner, and it would make matters worse if he got himself lost in the train town.

So the wandering had turned more into pacing as he trekked from one end of the train to the other and then back again. He was surprised there were no marks in the floor from the numerous times he'd passed through the halls, and eventually he opted to search for the rest of his team, even though he could assume where they would be. Sure enough, he discovered them inside of the briefing room – their makeshift lodgings as it would seem – and as the door slid open to allow him entrance, he noted how they looked up almost guiltily. Zell in particular looked as though he'd been in mid-sentence. They must've recognized him because a second later, Selphie sighed in relief and Zell relaxed visibly.

"Oh, 's just Squall," Zell said, waving him off. "We can still talk."

"Bad mouthing the clients behind their back?" Squall asked knowingly as he leaned against the wall nearby.

Zell winced before putting his hands up in defence. "You got it all wrong, Squall. We weren't bad mouthing them. They're cool and all, but we just don't think they know what they're doing."

Selphie nodded in agreement and Squall sighed as the girl put in her two cents. "They're _really_ disorganized. I mean, it was like a blaring neon sign during the train operation briefing, and they don't take the time to plan out thing carefully. Common sense seems to fly right out the window when the situation's going well for us. I mean, we'd have sported a lot less bruises if we'd just waited for Zone and Watts to finish interrogating those soldiers instead of duking it out with that monster. It's almost like they wanna see where it goes before making the really crucial decisions."

"Which'll probably get 'em all killed in the end," Zell added cynically with a shrug of the shoulders.

"And us along with them if we're not careful," Selphie agreed solemnly.

Before Squall could say anything, the door opened and both Rinoa and Zone walked in. Watts was conspicuous in his absence. It must've shown through in their features though, because Zone spoke up. "Watts is out gathering information about the President's stay. There's no point in making any plans if we don't know why he's even here in the first place."

Squall nodded in acknowledgement begrudgingly. The resistance leader did have a point. Still, they could've started the recon a lot sooner than now.

There was a tense silence that followed shortly after this announcement. No one else felt the need to break it, though Squall was mulling the best way to request a look at the contract. After a moment, when Zone was about to leave the room to check on something, they heard footfalls from just outside the door that sounded as though someone was running towards them. A familiar yet dimmed voice sounded before the door slid open and Watts ran in, looking like he'd just run a marathon.

Rinoa – who had been leaning against the train model (they _still_ hadn't put it away) – rose to her feet quickly and Zone backed out of Watts' way as he stopped just in front of the doorway, panting and wheezing.

Selphie and Zell rose to their feet in response while Squall stayed at his position against the wall. After giving Watts a few minutes to catch his breath, the information specialist spoke, "I've got some brand new information, sir!"

Everyone seemed to perk up at the news. Maybe _now_ they had something they could use.

"Well, there's a lot of rumours flying around speculating the reason why the President's here in Timber," Watts explained.

From the looks of everyone's faces, they knew very well what he was talking about and Squall was no different. There had been a lot of different speculations that they had heard about since their arrival. Some of them were as mundane as 'he wanted a taste of the wilderness' (despite the obvious arguments that he'd been responsible for the deforestation within the region), to as farfetched as 'he's making plans to mow down the town and turn it into 'Neo-Deling City'. Frankly, Squall had heard better rumours out of the Garden Square when he was a child.

"But I know the _real_ reason!" Watts said, and Squall's attention shifted from his inner musings as he listened. "Apparently, according to some of the guards in the town, he wants to use our television station. Security's super tight there, sir, and I mean more so than usual. That's _gotta_ be the reason."

Rinoa frowned, tilting her head to the side. Squall couldn't blame her. That had to have been the worst speculation yet. "If he wanted to use a television station to publicize himself more than he already has, he could've stayed put in Deling City. Why come all the way down to Timber?"

"Especially with the rumours of the Resistance Factions," Zone agreed. "You'd think he'd stay away if he knew there were people rallying against him somewhere. He'd let the Galbadian army take care of us instead of going through all the trouble. So then why would he risk all that by going somewhere that might be hostile against him?"

"As opposed to Deling City where he knows for sure that everyone hates him?" Rinoa scoffed.

"What kind of a station is it?" Zell suddenly asked, directing the attention of the pair. Squall arched an eyebrow, wondering what the brawler was thinking.

"Um..." Rinoa said, raising an eyebrow. "A _television_ station."

"One that hasn't been used in a very long time," Zone clarified when Zell shot them both a dull look.

Zell frowned thoughtfully after the added explanation. "So it used radio waves to broadcast instead of HD cable?"

"It's the only one left in the world that can handle and transmit radio wave broadcasts, sir," Watts said matter-of-factly. "It's one of the things that makes Timber stand out, though why we still have it when no one uses it is beyond anyone's guess but Deling's."

Squall and Selphie exchanged knowing glances while Watts' spoke, knowing exactly where Zell was going with this. Just to be sure, however, Selphie turned on the martial artist. "Do you think it might have something to do with the Communications Tower?"

"The _what_?" Zone asked before Zell could answer the question.

"There's a Communications Tower in the mountain region in Dollet," Squall explained. He remembered their previous experience around the area almost like it had happened the previous day and pushed it – and the rest of the unwanted memories of his last visit there – out of his mind as he spoke. "It can transmit and receive radio waves but, like the television station here, it's been offline for a long time now."

"So why is _that _important exactly?" Rinoa asked, folding her arms across her chest.

Squall stared at her pointedly, forcefully reminding himself that she wasn't there and thus couldn't have known about it. Taking a breath to calm his irritation, he answered the question. "Because the Galbadian Army invaded Dollet two weeks ago with the intention of getting it up and running. That's what it looked like anyway. They may have needed until yesterday to get it fully online for all I know."

"And if they wanna use the television station here," Zone continued, sounding like he'd just discovered something big, "they'd have to get that tower up and running before they could. Whatever they wanna broadcast, it might just be important enough that they want the whole world to hear it."

"But what could it be?" Rinoa asked, finally catching on.

Selphie clapped her hands together, gaining everyone's attention and grinning broadly. "I think I might know what it is."

With everyone still staring at her, she thrust her right hand forward, crossing both her index and middle fingers together and winking as she said, "Love and Peace!"

Zone, Watts and Rinoa all stared at her like she had just lost her marbles. Zell and Squall, who by then were used to her exuberant behaviour, simply shook their heads in response.

"Doubtful," Zell said as Selphie lowered her arm. "But its _still_ gotta be real important. Last I heard, it's been around seventeen _years_ since radios waves had been used, all because of some kinda..."

"Really?" Rinoa said, leaning forward with an excited expression. "It's been _that_ long?"

"Uh... yeah...?" Zell answered uncertainly.

Rinoa interrupted him before he could elaborate. She didn't appear to care at all about the reason it had been that long in the first place. "What do you think would happen if the _very_ first global broadcast – using radio waves – was the declaration of Timber's independence?"

Squall, Zell and Selphie all exchanged glances amongst each other. It seemed they'd inadvertently started something. Zone however looked thunderstruck for a moment before his face broke out into a grin. "You know, with some careful planning... that might just be possible."

Watts was shifting from foot to foot. From the excited expression on his face, he was on board with the idea. "Then let's come up with a plan," Rinoa suggested. She turned to look at the three teenagers before smiling apologetically, "if you'll excuse us."

Squall had assumed she and the rest of the Forest Owls were going to leave, but he was unpleasantly surprised when the three of them found a corner near the door and plopped down. Moments later, excited whispers filled the room. The words were spoken too hoarsely and quickly to be taken in properly.

He was well aware that he looked like an idiot staring at the huddled teenagers with what he could assume was a slack-jawed expression, filled with blinks and all. This was a new all-time low, even for the Forest Owls. He looked over and saw Zell covering his mouth with his right hand, but trembling. Either he was really furious or he was trying not to laugh. "Even _we_ got briefed outside the Garden," Zell whispered between snorts and proving that it was the latter. "That is just sad."

"Sad or not," Selphie whispered and Squall was sort of surprised to find she wasn't grinning anymore. The diminutive SeeD just looked frustrated. "I wanna go home."

"We can't just _leave_ yet," Zell said, turning to stare at her. "The mission's not over."

"We completed the mission already," Selphie said, "or at least we _should_ have. We carried out the order to kidnap the President and ended up dealing with that really creepy Gerogero freak. We should be done already." Whirling on Squall, she placed her hands on her hips. "Can't you check our contract? See what it says and when we can leave?"

Squall decided against telling them both he'd been planning to do just that, and moved to where Rinoa was squatting with Zone and Watts. She seemed to sense him, because she looked up at him. "Oh good timing," she grinned. "We've just come up with a really good plan."

_A solid plan in less than five minutes? Doubtful,_ Squall thought to himself, but opted to keep his thoughts his own. Instead, he folded his arms across his chest as Rinoa rose to her feet. "Before we get into that, I'd like to see the contract you have with our Garden."

Rinoa blinked. She apparently hadn't expected that, but after a moment, she shrugged. "Sure thing. Follow me. It's up in my room."

Squall gestured for Selphie and Zell to follow, and all four of them left the room, leaving Zone and Watts to hammer out the plan a little longer. They left the briefing room, went up the stairs and to the end of the hall where her room was. It was still as pink and frilly as Squall remembered it. The only difference was the bed had been rolled back into its original couch position. He also recalled that neither Selphie nor Zell had seen it before. They exchanged glances between one another and Squall wouldn't have put it past them to feel some resentment. After all they slept on the floor of a messy briefing room.

Rinoa rummaged through the chest of drawers next to her make-shift bed as Squall, Selphie and Zell watched and waited. After a moment, she withdrew a thick document that had been stapled together. Turning around, she handed it to Squall and clasped her hands behind her back.

"Well?" Zell said as both he and Selphie moved closer. Squall had only just started to read it. "What's it say?"

Squall would've liked to know the answer to that. The only thing he'd made sense of was that the 'Party A' was in reference of the Garden, 'Party B' or 'the hiring party' represented the Forest Owls, and the three of them were to be acknowledged as 'Party C'. Anything after that was lost on him.

He looked up after a minute of scanning the typed document in an attempt to decipher it. Instead of answering, he handed it to Zell, thinking that if the brawler knew how to read the manual for some kind of mechanical gizmo, he might be able to decipher the contract. That proved to be a mistake. Zell's eyes crossed after about a moment and he shook his head before passing it onto Selphie. Her reaction was similar to Zell's and after a moment of trying to sort out the jargon, she huffed in frustration. "I... don't get it."

"Neither did I," Rinoa said, grabbing the contract out of Selphie's hands and putting it back in the drawer. "I'm a little surprised that you guys didn't get it, but then again, bureaucratic paperwork has always had its own language. Have I got stories..."

She grinned broadly as she rummaged in the drawer for another moment and produced another document. It was far more condensed then the previous one, but this time, Rinoa read through it before nodding to herself and handing it to Squall. "When I told the Headmaster that I couldn't understand it, he gave me this one."

Squall took the contract from Rinoa's hand, who beamed as she said, "Cid is such a nice man."

Trying to be discreet as he rolled his eyes, he looked over the contract. The first page looked like it had all the information in the official document had been summarized for them. He flipped the next page over, and there were two signatures beneath the line of text that probably professed the contractees understood what they were signing to.

Flipping the document back over, he also noted that, unlike the more complex contract, this letter appeared to have been hand written. He also recognized the Headmasters signature near the bottom and figured he had done the task with Rinoa standing over him and found himself wondering if Seifer had been present at the time. Before he could muse any further, however, he found himself well aware of Selphie's presence as she stood directly behind him on the tips of her toes. She was probably trying to read over his shoulder. "What's it say _this_ time?" she finally asked in exasperation.

Turning his attention back to the document, Squall began to read, "'To the Forest Owls...'"

"It's some kinda _letter_?" Zell interrupted, sounding almost indignant. When both Squall and Selphie fixed him with a glare, he shut up and let Squall continue.

"'Upon learning of your situation, it has been decided that Garden will dispatch a set number of SeeD members in order to assist you in your attempt at achieving your goal. This contract between your faction and Garden will expire once Timber achieves its independence.'"

Squall's stomach sank at those words and he could tell both Zell and Selphie were disappointed in their answer. Still, he continued to read, "'It is also important that you understand that this contract is an exception and, thus, no replacement of any SeeD member shall be deployed. Be sure to make good use of each SeeD member.

"'Wishing you the best in your objective,

"'Balamb Garden Headmaster Cid Kramer.'"

No one spoke after Squall finished reading. It was almost as though they were all trying to allow the words to sink in (Squall at least knew he was). It seemed really odd for the Headmaster to make such conditions for a mission with as little money as what was eluded by the Garden Faculty. Then again, it was no secret that Headmaster Kramer seemed to favour Seifer. Why else would the elder cadet have gotten off with as many chances as he'd had?

"You have _got_ to be kidding me..." Zell broke the silence, his expression betraying his shock. "Until Timber achieves independence?"

"That's _sooo_ vague!" Selphie protested. "That could take months, even _years_ to happen!"

His frown deepened as he mentally agreed with the pair. There was no way that three newly inaugurated SeeDs would be able to hold up for very long against the Galbadians, especially with the way the Forest Owls presented themselves. It would only be a matter of time before someone got caught, and then what were they supposed to do? Even the prospect of failing a mission normally meant that they could return to Garden, but the wording of the Headmaster's contract dispelled even that. They were stuck for the long haul, regardless of the current mission status.

Their only chance to return to the Garden and to be done with this was if Deling somehow died, and the person who took over gave Timber their freedom. Like _that_ was ever going to happen.

"Hey!" A voice sounded from nearby, causing Squall to start somewhat. He turned to regard Rinoa as he suddenly remembered that she was standing with them inside of her own room. The Squad leader caught the guilty looks on his team-mates faces and realized that they had forgotten about her as well. The client was currently standing in front of the dresser with her hands on her hips - a reprimanding stance if Squall had ever seen one. "You guys are paid professionals, right? No complaining."

* * *

"So let me get this straight," Lieutenant Jesse Marshal said thoughtfully. Standing with him were three of his subordinates; all wearing the blue jumpsuits that were Galbadian military uniforms. "There was a _cadet _gathering information about the President?"

"Sir," the one standing closest to him answered, falling into a salute. "More specifically he was inquiring about the President's stay here in Timber. He was rather big, though he was very polite and referred to me as 'sir', sir."

"And how much did you actually _tell_ him?" Marshal asked.

"Just the basics, sir," the soldier answered. "That the President is staying in the Hotel for some business he needed to attend to in Timber."

"He asked me the same thing, sir," another soldier piped up. "He said it was important to know the final stages of the operation here in Timber, so I told him that our orders were to secure the television station. Now that you mention it, he was a little overly polite."

"I remember someone fitting that description, sir," the third soldier said, falling into a salute. "But he wasn't in uniform at all. He had insanely bright clothes on, his head covered in a blue bandana and I saw him meeting with three suspicious looking characters from Balamb, sir."

"Could they have been SeeD?" Marshal snapped as his gut tightened at the thought. If SeeD was involved, then they were going to have their work cut out for them.

"I'll go question every teenager in the area!" The third soldier stated after a moments deliberation. Apparently he hadn't thought of the possibility that SeeD could have become involved.

However, questioning teenagers in a town that already despised Galbadia as a whole was a bad idea and Marshal knew it. With the confirmation of at least one active Resistance Faction it meant the whole town would know as soon as one or two of those snot-nosed punks caught wind of what they were looking for. If the Resistance Faction had requested SeeD, they'd also know they were onto them.

But before he could point this out to the soldier, he'd already disappeared. "Hey! We can't just go up to every teenager and demand information! These are civilians, we've got to-"

"How dare they try to kidnap the President!" one of the remaining soldiers snarled. "After everything we've done for Timber too. The government's done nothing but help them establish a fundamental way of running this town, including and not limited to helping the citizens form a policing force. We still help with the everyday goings on of this stupid town? Not only is it an insult to President Deling, but to us Galbadian soldiers as well!"

"Damn right!" the other one agreed. "I'll be sure to find each and every one of those people involved and throw their sad fucking asses in jail!"

And they both ran off in different directions, no doubt to gather information. Marshal was left standing alone, frowning thoughtfully as he wondered why no one wanted to hear him out until the end.


	20. Chapter XIX: Showdown

**Edited: **_02/02/09_

**Edited: **_05/30/10_

* * *

**Chapter XIX:  
Showdown**

* * *

It was only because the Galbadians hadn't taken notice of their train during the kidnapping attempt that they were able to set up camp in town without the fear of being caught. It was a good thing too, since a blazing skull across a canvas of bright yellow was sure to stick out against the tamer appearance of the local trains. Even then they had to be careful.

Despite knowing the Galbadians shouldn't have any leads on them or their base, it had still been a very tense waiting period. Given what had happened during the kidnapping mission, the trio of SeeDs had figured that, perhaps, the Forest Owls had learned that intelligence gathering and scoping out their targeted area was the difference between making and breaking their next attempt. Declaring independence over a frequency that had not been used in nearly two decades was one thing, but managing to pull the carpet right out from under the Galbadian government when they were trying to do the same was the issue they had to face.

But the Forest Owls proved once again just how outlandishly ignorant (if not stupid) they were by rejecting the notion as it would interfere with the plan they had come up with. Honestly, a child's short story would have been better planned out than the 'plan' the Owls' had come up with, and the child would have at least spent more time on it before their attention span demanded for a change of venue. So instead of staking out the Television station and apprising the situation based on the number of uniforms guarding the area, they would be moving into position roughly around the time that Deling was expected to arrive. Apparently, the idea was to blend into the crowd that would undoubtedly form with the additional security and sneak around passed without the Galbadians being the wiser.

According to the intelligence Watts managed to gather, it didn't appear as though Deling had made his announcement yet, despite having had all the time in the world to do so. That in itself was a blessing sign, though Squall couldn't help but wonder if the President was trying to lure them into a trap. It'd be almost too easy to catch them in the act and then make an example out of them to the other factions hiding throughout the city. It'd only be a matter of time until they were found out, but again when he'd pointed this out, the Forest Owl's had waved off his concern with overly optimistic ambitions of beating Deling to making his announcement, whatever that might be. Apparently nothing else mattered after that.

It was decided that, since whatever announcement the Galbadian dictator had to make was important enough to warrant the use of radio waves despite the disturbance that made it unusable, Deling would wait until everyone was at least semi conscious before starting the broadcast and would probably aim for around noon. Considering that the other side of the planet would be even further into their day (with the other half probably being around midnight), Squall was convinced Deling was focusing his thoughts on the western most part of the world. Esthar had disappeared years ago and, with the exception of Trabia, there must have been very little concern of them receiving the transmission in the mind of Vinzer Deling.

When they'd initially arrived back in town, everyone had noticed that the increase in the number of soldiers patrolling the streets. It was either because of the President's presence or the recent 'attack', no one could be sure which. They did know that the hotel was out of the question – Deling and his entourage of military guard were staying there and had been for a while. Miss Francesca DiMarco, who ran the hotel, was kind enough to relay the message to Watts while he was gathering Intel.

So because they couldn't stay at the hotel, they were forced to, once again, spend the night in the Forest Owls base.

It wasn't until ten o'clock the following morning that Squall, Selphie, Rinoa and Zell piled out of the train. The television station was apparently located behind a magazine building called 'Timber Maniacs', but no one really took the path anymore for obvious reasons. Nevertheless they had to try. The plan was surprisingly simple. They would go to the television station, assess their situation and, by force if necessary, they would go on the air and announce Timber's independence before Deling and his soldiers could stop them. While Watts, Zone and the rest of the Forest Owls tried to find an alternative route, Rinoa had opted to go with the SeeDs and approach from the front.

"Because it hasn't been in use for a while," Rinoa was saying as they walked down the street. Angelo was following closely behind, looking entirely like a pet that could do no harm. "They built a pub right in front of the alley that leads to it. To get to the station, we're going to have to cut through it and out into the alley. I'm hoping there won't be a problem. Are any of you at least nineteen?"

Zell and Selphie shook their heads in response, as did Squall and Rinoa frowned thoughtfully, pausing in her stride before shrugging it off. "Okay, we'll sort of be out of place there then, but I know a few people who work there. It shouldn't be a huge problem. Let's just get going. It shouldn't take more than an hour to get there, an hour and a half tops."

* * *

It had been an infuriatingly long train ride...

Stepping out of the compartment car and into the sun, he could help but work the kinks out of his muscles as he proceeded down the steps leading into the town. They felt especially cramped from the tension and he cursed those plastic monstrosities the train attendants called chairs. He never considered that it could have been from the situation he'd gotten himself into.

Looking throughout the crowd as he made his way down the stairs leading into the town proper, Seifer made himself all but invisible among them as he allowed them to lead him away from the station. Even if he hadn't seen any SeeD members coming after him, he knew he'd be stupid to believe even for a second that they hadn't gotten around him. He'd have to be careful, at least until he reached his destination. He didn't care what happened after that.

He scowled as he realized the Forest Owl's train wasn't in its usual spot. That was the one thing he liked about the object. It was easy to pinpoint even through a crowd. He'd told Rinoa so many times that they needed to change it, but her response had always been the same, 'Why try to be inconspicuous when you can hide in plain sight?'

Seifer was fairly sure that the girl had no idea what she was talking about, but had kept the notion to himself.

But to see that it was missing in action unsettled him somewhat. Could they already be out on an operation?

Another look proved him wrong. He caught sight of the yellow monstrosity speeding off along the tracks and despite having spotted the train, his stomach sank. He must've missed them, but definitely not by much.

Cursing under his breath, Seifer made his way over while staying under the relative safe cover the crowd awarded him. If he wasn't being tailed then the SeeD team sent on this mission might spot him, and knowing Squall, the prick would report his sorry ass back to the Garden before he could take the time to blink. He couldn't afford to be found out just yet.

But just as he was going to give up completely, he recognized the figure with a blue bandana on his head. He was panting and heaving and Seifer got the feeling he'd been left behind. That in itself wasn't unusual, because he'd seen him chase after that train time and again, usually having delayed in reaching the vehicle in time. He swore Zone timed it like that on purpose but he never had any proof, and accusing him would've been a waste of his time and energy. He'd never really gotten along with the guy, but the rest of the Owls' were good enough people.

Making sure that the coast was clear, Seifer removed himself from the crowd and walked over to him, whistling lightly as though he were calling a dog.

Watts heard the noise loud and clear and, when he turned around to investigate, his face broke out into a grin. "Seifer! What're you doing all the way out here?"

"Keep it down," Seifer said, looking around him in case someone was following him. So far, he was in the clear, but there was no telling how long that would last. "Heard about the mission. Came here to help."

"No way! That's awesome, sir!" Watts babbled enthusiastically. "But you just missed Rinoa. She's with the SeeD members Garden sent."

"Where they headed?" Seifer asked casually, all the while controlling his irritation at the notion. "Maybe I can catch up."

"To the Television station, sir," Watts said. "We think that Deling's gonna be there. We heard that he wants to make some kind of broadcast using radio waves. We're not exactly sure why."

_That'd explain the Communication's Tower in Dollet,_ Seifer mused before nodding to himself. It looked as though the Owls' target was Deling. They'd always talked about twisting the old man's arm into liberating the occupied country. They'd probably wanted SeeD around for added muscle. Simply enough shit, but he wasn't about to take the chance that the greenlings would fuck it up. He kept his tone casual, almost conversational. "No kidding? Must be something important. And the others are heading down that way?"

Watts nodded enthusiastically as he beamed. "I gathered the information, sir."

"It's what you do best," Seifer complimented and Watts beamed even more. "Looks like Zone ditched you again. Why don't you gather more intelligence and I'll meet up with the others at the station."

"Good luck, sir!" Watts said once more before running off, no doubt to change into his uniform.

Seifer smirked. As much as it wasn't fair to take advantage of Watts' friendship, he had to gather that information, and the less Watts knew, the better for the Forest Owls. He vaguely wondered what Deling wanted to announce to the people, and decided it was unimportant for two reasons. Radio waves were no longer used to transmit frequencies over the air, and it was very unlikely that he would get a message out. But then he thought about the Communication Tower in Dollet and how it could transmit radio waves before contemplating that perhaps the dictator wasn't so stupid after all. He'd had the neighbouring country attacked just so he could make some stupid speech. A waste of tax payer's money, but since when did Deling start to care about the voters of his country.

Regardless of the notion, there was always the second reason for the President's foreseeable failure. He had Seifer pitted against him. He wasn't going to do shit all if _he_ had any say about it.

He remembered the layout of Timber very well from his last trip. The Television station was supposed to be behind the Timber Maniacs' building but he also remembered that a pub had been built along the road leading to the station. The less people seeing him, the better, so crossing through was most definitely out of the question. He wasn't entirely out of luck though, because he remembered finding a short cut that led to the all but abandoned building the previous summer. He'd meant to tell Rinoa about it, if only on the off chance that it might prove useful later on but now he was glad he'd never actually found the opportunity to follow up. She and the greenies would've used it to get to the station faster, and he was banking that she hadn't discovered it on accident.

If she had and he ran into the SeeD team, he could probably play it off, but the Chickenwuss and the Puberty Boy in particular wouldn't trust him and he was fairly sure he'd burned the bridge that was the Messenger Girl's trust back in Dollet. They'd immediately realize something was up and try to stop him.

He ran down the street, knowing that he had to get there first.

* * *

She had heard every word.

Upon disembarking from the train, cast a spell upon herself before tailing Seifer, tinting the insignificant surroundings around her in a varying degree of greys in order to track Seifer better. Adding more energy into the spell however, had allowed her to hone in on Seifer's heat signature, signalling him out from amongst the rest of the crowd. Following him wasn't going to serve as a problem.

What did concern her, however, was the announcement she'd heard shortly upon disembarking. Apparently, there was something of a delay in concerns to the trains and she was slightly worried that her back up wouldn't be very quick in their arrival. She was going to be on her own for a while. From the sounds of it, the problem was on Timber's end, and it wasn't a stretch to think that perhaps the team stationed in the junction town had had a hand in it.

Once the scan spell had taken affect, Quistis had followed after Seifer at a distance, making sure that when he looked behind him she was out of clear sight. She was also very careful not to blink, because that would dispel the effects of the spell and she most likely would not be provided the opportunity for a second attempt.

Seifer had swam through the throng of people for a few minutes after leaving the station but then out of the blue he stepped away from the river of bodies and proceeded towards a set of tracks. It took a minute for Quistis to realize that he was approaching another heat signature – a young man no older than herself from the sounds of it. His heat signature was displaying levels of heat that were far from normal and judging by his hunched over position it was fairly easy to tell that he'd just done a bit of running at least. The new stranger acknowledged Seifer after he'd whistled and they'd begun making their exchange.

Quistis couldn't help but scowl at how irritatingly easy it had been for the cadet to retrieve his information from this decidedly stupid man, but it also made things easier for her, despite knowing that she was headed into uncharted territory. During her previous missions, she'd never stopped to properly explore Timber, having always passed it by on her travels. Because of this, she was unfamiliar with her surroundings. It was very clear that Seifer held the advantage here, if his conversation with the stupid man was any indication. Even if she hadn't witnessed the exchange, she still had the knowledge of his trip to Timber the previous summer.

But that didn't mean she was completely ignorant on Timber's history. According to what she knew, the television station that had been shut down after the Sorceress War due to the interference in the frequency. They couldn't very well keep it open when they could no longer harness radio waves for their transmissions. From what she'd overheard of Seifer's conversation, that appeared to be the Timber team's objective, and surprisingly enough, President Deling also seemed to have paid the town a visit solely for its usage. She vaguely wondered if it had anything to do with the Communications Tower in Dollet but shook herself of the notion as she watched Seifer continue down a nearby alleyway.

Careful to keep out of sight, she continued the pursuit, passing through the crowds and focussing on keeping the scan spell working. She was grateful that she was still junctioned, otherwise she would have lost him. Quistis wasn't stupid enough to think Seifer had managed to escape the Garden without the use of Guardian Forces.

But it was all very strange to her and she couldn't help but wonder what exactly had gotten into Seifer in the first place, why he had decided that _now_ was as good a time as any to make his escape, and to do so with a purpose. What was so important in Timber that he had to take the risks to come here now, of all times?

Quistis' thoughts turned to the man Seifer had been speaking to and she wondered suddenly if he was a part of the resistance the Timber team was supposed to assist. If that were the case, that would at least point the finger in the direction that led to Seifer's motives, but she couldn't help but wonder why Seifer would stick his neck into someone else's business if he had nothing to gain from it.

Furthermore, how exactly had Seifer come to learn of the mission proceedings in the first place? A better question was if Garden sent SeeD operatives to help out people that he knew, what had possessed him to come here in the first place?

_Too many questions without any answers,_ Quistis mused as she shook her head. She managed to keep a building between herself and Seifer. She pushed the questions to the back of her mind for now, determined to get answers. If she spent all her time questing the motives of Seifer, not only would it spring forth a headache so severe it might actually split her skull, but Seifer might inadvertedly spot her without her noticing and she'd lose any advantage she had on him. Seifer might not be a SeeD, but he had talent and was one hell of a well-trained fighter, gunblade or no.

And so the former instructor followed after him, her questions falling onto the back burner. For now.

* * *

Despite the Sergeants wishes, the soldiers began to question the youths of Timber about strangers from Balamb. No one knew much and that alone set alarm bells through Mark Pierce's mind. After all, the local youths knew everything there was to know about _anyone_.

Obviously, he wasn't questioning them in uniform. The Timberians weren't exactly forthcoming with information when they knew the source was a Galbadian soldier. Even before the rumours of the Resistant Factions in Timber had been verified, there was no love for the Galbadian soldiers patrolling the streets every day. It was fairly obvious that, despite them keeping to themselves, the Timber folk did not appreciate Galbadia having occupied them years ago. So as a result, he and the small squad he had brought along had exchanged their blue-leotards and armour for casual wear.

Still it confused him to no end knowing that the Timber folk hated their guts. If it hadn't been for Galbadia, they would have remained a forest state, with barely any place to live and barely any means of taking care of themselves. They didn't know how to govern their own city let alone a country, and they would have been segregated from the rest of the world almost as badly as Winhill with the lack of technology they'd possessed back then. The way Pierce saw it, Galbadia had done them a _favour _by trouncing their pitiful excuse of an army twenty years ago.

Keeping his opinions to himself was what had allowed Pierce and his company (who were also wearing civilian casuals) to hold up their cover. They knew enough about Timber and the way the citizens talked to blend in seamlessly and had conducted their investigation without compromise. Separating into smaller groups, they had all casually approached the teenagers in the area and dropped the occasional question or two about information regarding tourists from Balamb. Even after dropping bits and pieces of intelligence including how they were dressed they'd reached a dead end as no one seemed to know anything about them.

Fortunately, they'd managed to hit pay dirt. The old woman at the gift shop had heard Pierce talking about the suspicious group and admitted to knowing a bit about them. Unknowing of his identity, she'd gladly pointed him in the direction of a fellow named Watts, who had apparently met with the three kids. After a brief conversation, they'd boarded a yellow train that had been docked at the station normally reserved for Trains bound to or from Deling City.

Judging by the things she'd mentioned, it appeared that this Watts character was their overly polite but inquisitive soldier. If he'd been waiting for these three kids from Balamb, it was probably safe to say that they were SeeDs, and this Watts guy was at least somewhat responsible for the attack on the diversion train they'd sent out two days ago. He'd managed to obtain a detailed description from the old woman, who apparently didn't think to question why a couple of random strangers were looking for Watts in the first place.

After he'd finished talking with her, he'd left the elderly woman to her devices and radioed the description to all soldiers in the area, putting out a bolo for a yellow train with a skull along the side to inspect it should it be discovered. Their main objective was to arrest everyone who was inside for the attack and to take them in for questioning. If some of them managed to evade capture, then they would issue a total lockdown of Timber. There would be no escape for them, that much was certain.

* * *

The television station was one of the taller buildings in the town. It was stacked up high atop of another building that housed other businesses. That didn't stop the Galbadians from patrolling it though. Just from the sight alone, he could tell that there was a ground floor entrance to his desired destination.

If he wanted to get to it though, he most definitely knew that the front door approach was out of the question. No, his best bet of reaching the President would be from the topmost half of the building. The room was probably under heavy guard as well, which meant he'd have to make his own entrance through the windows along the upper floors. This knowledge did not impress him any, nor did it improve his mood as he counted the number of soldiers as they made their passes around the building. Whatever the President wanted to broadcast was most definitely important.

Using a fire escape on an apartment building, Seifer pulled himself up onto the roof before appraising the situation. The complex was very close by and the only things standing in his way were the sea of rooftops that indicated the structures. He'd just have to jump across them, keeping as inconspicuous as he could while doing so, and then he'd be at the building. He wouldn't even _need_ to use the front door.

Very thankful he was both junctioned and armed with the Hyperion, he grinned when he thought about the upcoming obstacle. After he got into the building, he'd most definitely attract the attention of the soldiers, and obviously the assholes would wanna get in his way. It had been two full weeks since the Field Exam and he'd been in lock up ever since in between classes. He hadn't even been permitted into the Training Centre in all of that time and he was just itching for a reason to killing something or some_one_, it didn't matter who.

He mentally remanded that statement as it crossed his mind, but only slightly. The only thing that mattered was the Forest Owls didn't get caught in the crossfire. Everyone else was fair game and his fingers twitched in anticipation. He could feel his grip around the neck of one of the poor saps who opted to stand in his way and found himself hoping that the guards were stupid enough to try and interfere.

It took some effort, but he was barely able to reign in his thoughts and focus on his objective. The Forest Owls wanted Deling, at least it was obvious that was their goal. What they wanted to do with him was their business, but he would be damned if he let Squall, the Chickenwuss or the Messenger Girl fuck things up for them. He'd kill them too if he had to.

He leaned against the railing that surrounded the roof so that his stomach was bent onto it, but before he could do anything, he heard something from behind. He whirled around, but found that there wasn't anything around him. There was no place to hide after all. But he got the sense that something was following him.

More like some_one_. It looked like SeeD was finally closing in on him.

For maybe a fraction of a second he was worried before he decided that he really could've cared less. Let them find him. As long as he did what he came for, he'd be willing to take on what mediocre punishment Garden had waiting for him. Cid wouldn't let them do anything _serious_ to him, and he could just envision himself back in the brig like the second home it already was.

Ignoring whatever it was that was following him, Seifer resumed his surveying of the station in front of him before flipping himself over the balcony and entering free fall. Counting backwards, he mentally timed the jump and grabbed a hold of the side of the nearest building to stop his descent. He braced himself accordingly from the sudden stop and pulled himself back up over the ledge, finding himself atop another roof. If it weren't for Belias, his arm would have become dislocated from the stunt, though fortunately he needn't worry about it as he broke out into a run. Timing his jump, he leapt from one rooftop to the next, tucking his body into a roll and barely stopping as he resumed his sprint. He followed this procedure a few times before he found himself atop the final roof tha stood between him and his goal.

He was forced to skid to a stop however, scowling grimly as he realized he'd misjudged the gap between this rooftop and the Television station beyond. Nothing stood in his way now, absolutely nothing. That in itself was the problem. The gap was just too far for him to jump on normal terms and if he tried it, he'd end up as paste on the sidewalk below.

Seifer had no choice but to resort to magic now. He hated having to rely on magic. Spells were far too unstable to be wholly useful in these conditions, and even if they were, the float spell in particular would leave him vulnerable should the Galbadians spot him. He'd be forced to concentrate on the spell and wouldn't be able to defend himself in the precarious trip to one of the ledges surrounding the windows beyond him. Unfortunately, he didn't have another option. The path leading to the upper entrance would take too long to reach and with his luck he'd run into the greenlings along the way. That was not an option.

Sighing to himself, he grasped hold of a spell and allowed its magic to wash over him, watching uncaringly as a blue shield of magic formed around him. At least the protect spell would serve as some protection, though for how long he couldn't be sure. He'd be stuck if the Galbadians opted to blast him with magic. He could always cast a Shell to protect him, but that might interfere with the Float spell, and he had no intention of dropping from the sky just because the shell was uppity.

Focusing once again on the sensation of flying, Seifer threw the spell out and felt the feather wings form along his back, lifting him from the rooftop almost effortlessly. Focussing all his concentration on the wings, he forced himself forward, directing them to get to his destination as fast as they were able.

Fortunately, the soldiers along the ground had no idea of his presence, but he became uncomfortably aware of another flaw in his plan. There were soldiers patrolling the building, that much he'd expected. But in addition to the interior, there were guards and soldiers balanced precariously along the outer ledges, the very ones he'd been hoping to use to ensure his way inside. When Deling wanted something protected, he sure as hell didn't fuck around. Scowling, he forced himself to fly faster. They hadn't spotted him yet, and it was only a matter of time before they turned just the right way.

Luck proved to be on his side though. The first guard he encountered didn't see his attack coming, even as it was too late. Seifer snapped his neck before he was any the wiser. He spent the next second contemplating impersonating the soldier before he thought against it. The Forest Owls knew well enough how to hold their own (he was to blame for that, having given them an impromptu lesson on surprising the enemy) and if they spotted him dressed like these flunky soldiers, he'd be attacked for sure. He was here to help the Forest Owls, not to cripple them.

Still, a small part of him would've loved to have clocked Squall a couple of times before revealing his identity. Wouldn't that just blow everyone's little minds?

Forcing his thoughts away from the mental image he'd conjured, he crouched down and picked up the corpse, being very careful to do so. The last thing he needed was to slip over the edge by hauling the dead weight around. Once he'd managed to properly balance himself, he tossed the fucker through the window, the body blasting through the glass that barred his path inside. Broken bits and shards of the stuff littered the ground before him and the corpse as Seifer stepped inside, his boots crunching them to dust beneath him. Sure enough, there had been an alarm along the windows and it had been triggered by them shattering.

Cracking his knuckles, Seifer waited for the inevitable confrontation to ensue, only drawing the Hyperion when the first set of soldiers rounded the corner, their weapons primed and aimed at their intruder. There were about four of them in total, all wearing the blue jumpsuits that indicated they were trash, much like the dick he'd launched through the window.

"Hello boys," Seifer sneered, grinning callously at the sight. "It's playtime!"

As expected, the guards charged forward, withdrawing their own weapons and opening fire. The protect spell did the work for him, keeping the bullets from even touching him. With just another inch of concentration, they were sent back at their masters, tearing through armour plating and cloth. Two of the soldiers took hits to the chest while the remaining two ducked into cover. Seconds later, Seifer watched as they procured tower shields and stood behind them, opening fire when ready.

Seifer assumed that this was merely a stall tactic while they called for backup, their comrades blood oozing from their bodies. One of them was already dead from the looks of it while another looked like he was trying to crawl out of range from the fire. He was sorely disappointed, but he hadn't expected much of a fight from these losers. Still, they could have at least tried to put up a resistance.

As much as he wanted them to call for back up, as much as he wanted to get his hands dirty and actually break a sweat, he knew he couldn't risk it. There was no telling where Deling was at this very moment, and if the dictator caught wind of his presence the coward was more than likely to pull a runner. That he could not afford. Thinking quickly, Seifer charged forward as he formulated a plan of attack. Tower shields were traditionally used to hold off enemy distance fire, but they were useful in close quarters as bashing tools. He would have to be careful not to give the soldiers the first move.

So he swung his weapon just as he moved into melee range, right before the soldier could adjust his shield into battering position and slashed off the sucker's arm as a result. The pussy cried out in pain as his body started entering shock, but Seifer didn't allow him the opportunity. He grabbed the top of the man's head and pushed as hard as he could against the nearby wall. With a sudden twist, the man fell limp, broken neck and all as he fell uselessly to the floor.

The remaining soldier looked up from what he was doing and Seifer spotted what looked to be some kind of communicator in his hand. Upon seeing the state his comrade was in he made a run for it. Seifer wouldn't have put it past him to get the fuck out of dodge before calling for back up. Still, the cadet couldn't let that happen. Throwing his left arm out in front of him, he cast his spell and three stars circled over the fleeing soldier's head and gay looking powder sprang from them as they shrunk in size. The next thing Seifer knew, the soldier was on the ground, sleeping like a fucking baby.

Deciding that he couldn't chance the fucker waking up, he cast another spell after a moment's deliberation. White wings that weren't unlike the ones that had dissolved from his back moments prior attached themselves onto the prone soldier's back and, with the flick of his wrist, the soldier went flying out of the broken window Seifer had made his entrance in.

Satisfied by what he'd done, Seifer turned to walk away, knowing that the soldiers below would find the prize he'd handed over. With any lucky, it would take a few minutes for them to mobilize their forces and, by then, he'd have been long gone, having already carried out the mission. But just as he'd been about to progress down the hallway, he heard a dull _thud _from behind and stopped, knowing he would not have heard it normally had it not been for Belias. Marginally, he turned around, spying the soldier he'd just tossed from the window lying face down along the floor, but the figure beside the prone man was cause for concern.

She rose to her feet, probably after having checked the man's vitals, a scowl creasing her features and she levelled her stare in his direction through silver-rimmed glasses. Blonde hair was tied back into an immaculate fish-tail bun and arms were folded across her orange clad chest, dark red gloves obscuring hands from view. What he failed to miss however was the knowledge that her right hand was positioned down and beneath her left arm, giving her plenty of opportunity to reach for the handle of her weapon without a moment's notice.

He had known someone was tailing him, but he was insulted knowing now who it was.

"Oh for fuck's sake..." Seifer growled under his breath before he raised his voice. "Do me a favour, Instructor and _piss_ off!"

"Can't do that, I'm afraid," Quistis Trepe called from her end of the hall.

"I've got important shit to do," Seifer snarled. "I ain't got time to fuck around with a hack instructor."

"I'm taking you back to Garden," Quistis called back and Seifer scowled as she ignored his verbal jab. More to the point she was interrupting a very important operation and he was almost insulted that she felt the need to inform him of her objective.

"Yeah, yeah, in a minute," Seifer waved off.

"Right _now!_"

"I ain't done yet."

Quistis' scowl deepened as she unfolded her arms. If looks could kill he'd be ashes by then, and he was pretty sure of the cause. It was no secret that Perfect Trepe had been sacked around the same time he'd been put in the brig, and it was even more obvious that he had been the one responsible for it. The fucking bitch deserved it, since she couldn't teach her way out of a wet paper bag. "If it's about the mission here, the team Garden sent is handling it."

"Keep telling yourself that," Seifer snorted. "Bunch of rank fucking amateurs have no business here."

"It's a low grade mission," Quistis shot back. "Why should it bother you so much?"

"It's enough to know that it does," Seifer sneered before turning his back on her. "Make yourself scarce, will ya? You're cramping my style."

"I'm giving you one last warning." Quistis' tone was so cold it could've frozen, well, something hot.

Seifer didn't bother to waste his breath with a response. Instead, he continued to walk down the hall, ignoring her presence all together. He had bigger fish to fry and he'd be damned if some washed up instructor was going to hound him for breaking the rules.

But a second later, he realized that something was wrong and he looked around in search of the cause. Seconds later, something impacted with his stomach so quickly that he couldn't see and sent him sprawling along the ground beneath him. He pulled himself back up and realized belatedly that it was the bitch's doing. Somehow she was one of the few who could manipulate Time spells, and she'd just knocked him flat on his ass with his own trick.

Something hit him again in the chest and he was forced back onto the ground. He recognized the feel of the object as a boot, and he looked up to glare at Quistis, who simply just returned the look. "I warned you."

She raised her hand, which was gripping the handle of her whip and lashed down, probably planning to tangle him up in the obnoxious weapon, but Seifer was better. Using all the strength he could muster from Belias, he pushed himself up off the ground, forcing the hack off balance before he threw out his spell. If he was going to be handy capped by this dimwitted bitch, then she'd have to take a powder as well.

His spell hit, he could tell that much from the way she slowed down, but she wasn't as slow as he'd hoped her to be. Still, it was just enough to level the playing field. Grabbing a hold of the woman's arm as she threw a fist in his direction, he swung to the left and forced her to hit the wall behind, dazing her slightly. It was enough, because he threw out a fist of his own, only to have her duck and weave out of his grip. She pressed her palm out in front of her, missing as Seifer dodged the blow that would have broken her nose, except fire sprung right from the centre of her hand and blasted out towards him. Very narrowly he managed to dodge that as well.

Seifer couldn't wrap his head around it. Quistis was _still _far too quick to have been under the effects of the slow spell. Belias was assuring him that he was not under the similar effects, but then how could she possibly be faster than him? But then he thought back to the dream, the very inspiration that had caused his fascination with such spells and he realized the truth.

The target of her spell had been herself.

And that could only mean one thing. There were three levels of the Time spells that he knew of. The first being slow, of which he'd already mastered, but the next level was the haste spell, one that could increase the speed of its target. He scowled at himself, knowing the implications of this knowledge and outraged at knowing he was not the only one from the Garden who could cast these spells as well.

"You _bitch_!" He roared as he charged forward, Hyperion in hand. He threw his free hand out, launching fire spells in the girl's direction. She dodged the first two blasts and cupped her arms out in front of herself, causing a pink shield of magic to spring forth and absorb the remaining three.

"What's the matter, Seifer?" Quistis asked as before somersaulting to the left, effectively dodging his sword swipe as he'd reached her position. "Upset that you're not the _only _one who can cast these spells?"

She threw out a couple of spells of her own and Seifer dodged them, the blizzard spells shattering along the floor before dissipating altogether. He didn't stop his movements, attempting to close the distance between himself and the blonde SeeD. He raised the Hyperion above his head and, without giving her a chance to react, he slashed down…

…only for her to catch the blade with both hands raised above her head.

Seifer was caught off guard somewhat, not having expected the movement but he pressed down on the weapon, hoping to cleave her in two. But then he realized she hadn't actually caught the blade. If anything, it wasn't even touching her. He grit his teeth as he came to the only explanation that could have prevented his attack from connecting and cursed the protect spell. He catch a slight blue shimmer between her hands and the Hyperion, as if to prove his suspicions accurate.

Quistis, however, took advantage of his shock and raised her leg, bent at the knee, as she took a shot at Seifer's crotch.

Seifer had known where she was aiming and had thought the protect spell he'd cast on himself earlier was still in effect, but he was unpleasant surprised when the blow actually connected. He backed away and fell onto one knee, feeling tears spring into his eyes from the sudden onslaught of pain as the Hyperion fell to the floor with a clatter. He coughed, unable to prevent the action and knew exactly what was going on. She was junctioned too, and the only reason why he couldn't suddenly be clinically referred to as a female was because of Belias.

He heard more than saw the former instructor approach, but stopped a few feet away before cracking her chain whip into the air threateningly. An instant later, she swung forward. Seifer was almost insulted by the act as he ducked the blow. She thought she had incapacitated him enough to actually win the fight? The fact that the blade attached to the whip had barely missed him by a couple of inches was not the point. Feeling indignant, he latched onto the weapon as it swung back the way it had come and tugged hard on it, bringing the blonde girl closer to him. Balling a fist, he threw it out hoping to slam it into her face and was disappointed when she caught it instead.

Despite the lapse, he smirked suddenly before bringing his head forward sharply, catching the widening of eyes from his opponent before he slammed his forehead right into hers. His fist was released and she crumbled pathetically into the ground, clutching at her head in agony. Encouraged that her protect spell had worn off, he stepped forward, ignoring the throb between his temples from the collision and promptly kicked her in the stomach, causing a surprised intake of breath before he launched her into the opposite wall. She connected with it and hit the ground, lying on her stomach. Intending on not giving her any chance of recovering, he charged forward, intent on finishing her.

He was suddenly stopped, however, when a surprisingly strong gust of wind stopped his assault, blowing him back and against the wall. His head was thrown back by the element and he blinked the stars away after the back of his head made contact with the wall, cursing the former instructor for her intuitiveness. Keeping his head turned so he could properly breathe, he glowered at the woman as she pulled herself up onto her feet.

He couldn't help the smirk that formed when he took in her sight. Gone was the immaculate looking blonde girl he had been forced to endure for the past year. In her place was a dishevelled mess with blood trailing down her nose and against her lip, and what looked to be a large bruise beginning to form beneath where her hairline started. He was satisfied to know that _he_ was the one to cause these injuries to the so called prodigal SeeD. She wasn't nearly as invincible as many people made her out to be and he was anticipating the talk that would come when she went back to the Garden looking like such a mess.

But the satisfaction was short lived however when he saw her wipe away the blood. When he expected the flow to continue, he was unpleasantly surprised to find that it had stopped much sooner than it should have. He could even see that the beginnings of that bruise he'd caused was beginning to heal up as well.

_Regen,_ he recognized instantly. It was a spell that could heal flesh wounds without having to wait the hours or even weeks for them to heal on their own. It was a higher grade spell than any of the third levels he could think of, and only those who trained continuously knew how to use it. It was the only curative magic that had the power to mend broken bones, though only if it was used in conjunction with proper medical treatment.

But it was impossible for Quistis to have known the spell. She was only eighteen, just like he was and he was far superior to her in every way shape and form. Seifer didn't care how old she was when she'd joined SeeD, but _no _one learned how to utilize fucking spells like Regen in only three years' time, not even the Prodigal Genius Trepe.

Quistis released the Aero spell that kept him pinned to the wall, forcing Seifer to fall flat on his face, and he knew – he just knew – she'd cast it to stall for the time she'd need to heal. While it was a powerful spell, it also took time for it to have its full effect exploited. That was the trade-off. "So," she said with the air of authority she used when teaching her classes, "are you ready to cooperate yet?"

"Hardly," Seifer said, pushing himself up onto his feet. He knew she wasn't going to let him go. If he wanted to get past her, he'd have to stop playing around and resort to drastic measures. Not that it bothered him, but he would've just preferred to get out of this predicament at his absolute best. Still, it wasn't necessary to take care of Deling but he was running out of time.

He raised his arm and held out his palm before letting lose another fire spell that was aimed for the former instructor. Quistis countered it just as he'd expected by raising a shell shield, but he knew she wouldn't be expecting what came next. Taking the time to retrieve the Hyperion, he held it at the ready, watching as the blade began to glow a vibrant green that lightened as the seconds passed. In the very centre of the blade, a ball of white hot energy began to form and, when it became big enough, Seifer launched it towards the blonde SeeD, waiting for it to strike her and end the fight once and for all.

She didn't appear to be phased by the light that was flying towards her. She simply raised her arms into the air, cupped them around her mouth as she took in a deep breath. Just when the light was just about to hit her, she exhaled and a torrent of water flooded from out of her mouth, hitting the ball of light and smothering it in its entirety. Seifer was too shocked to do anything and was forced back against the wall as the spray hit him full force. He spat out water just as Quistis closed her mouth, swallowed hard and folded her arms across her chest almost expectantly.

"What the fuck _are_ you?" Seifer sputtered. His clothes were hanging off of him, bogged down by the cascade of water that had just struck him like a tsunami would a coast.

"There are just some things that you clearly don't know about me," Quistis said, apparently unaffected that she'd just spat a fucking ocean at him. "Now stop this foolishness before..."

She didn't get the chance to finish her sentence, however. The footfalls that proceeded down the hall were so loud they were almost thundering and she, like Seifer, were directed to the side. Moments later, the source arrived in a squadron of Galbadian soldiers.

Seifer heard a moan from nearby and he turned to see the downed soldier was finally coming to, communicator still in hand as he attached it to its holster along his right shoulder. So the bastard had called for backup after all. If Quistis had simply let him fall like Seifer had intended instead of trying to be the hero to a group of enemies then none of this would have happened.

Okay, scratch that. The group from the ground floor would have been alerted to the situation just by the dead body alone, but he felt like blaming Quistis for this fuck up and that was exactly what he was going to do.

Scowling at his poor luck, his thoughts brightened as he was hit with a sudden burst of inspiration. This was clearly Quistis' mess. Why the fuck should he have to stick around and sort it out? As far as he was concerned they were no longer his problem.

Even as the former instructor turned to regard the soldiers, Seifer channelled the energy of fire around him before lashing out with a quick Fira spell. The heat surrounded him on all sides and was more than enough to evaporate the water that clung to him like a second skin. Fortunately Belias was well attuned to fire and afforded Seifer with the same resistance, otherwise he would have been cooked as though he'd been shoved inside an oven.

Quistis snapped her whip up into the air threateningly, almost as though daring the enemy to advance. Seifer waited until he was absolutely positive that their attention was solely on her before he turned away from all of them. Never one to run from a fight, he took it in stride that he had better things to do than mop the floor with a couple of has-beens, and the soldiers sure as hell weren't enticing enough to make him want to stick around. Besides, he'd wasted enough time as it is. It was time to get back to work, and Deling was most definitely somewhere in the building by now. All he had to do was find him. The rest could sort itself out later.

And so he left the blonde SeeD to deal with the enemy by herself.

* * *

Quistis was just about to spring into action when her junctioned hearing picked up the sounds of footfalls leading away from the area. She turned marginally to watch as Seifer ran down the hall before turning the corner and moving out of her sight.

She cursed softly, even as she erected another protect spell to stave off the bullet fire that was launched in her direction. She couldn't believe that the asshole had actually _left_ her to fend off the mess he'd made, but thinking about it she really shouldn't have been surprised. To him, Deling was the most important thing, and she had to stop him before he ruined everything.

Growling under her breath, she decided to end the fight before it could even begin. Well aware that the floor she stood on was soaked with water, she held her arms outstretched onto either side of her as she spread her legs to distribute her weight evenly. It looked as though she was attempting to bar the soldier's pathway, and that's just what she wanted them to believe. Instead, however, she closed her eyes and focused on electrical energy that had nothing to do with thunder spells before allowing her body to unleash it.

She could barely feel it through her leather boots as the water drenched ground became alive with electric energy, and the bolts that shout out of her hands lanced along the walls, passing through them and dancing along the ceiling above them, causing the lights to flicker; she didn't need to be open to tell her that. Her senses also told her the soldiers were spasming from the onslaught of being electrocuted. Weapons splashed onto the floor beneath them as they lost all control of their motor functions and she could hear some of them dropping onto the ground flailing against the tiled floors helplessly.

She released them from the hold completely after a few moments, and the remaining few who had been too immobilized to move dropped like flies onto the floor. The occasional limb twitched from the overload of energy, but they remained otherwise still.

Deciding that she didn't have any time to check on them, she took off down the hall in the direction Seifer had gone in...


	21. Chapter XX: Deling's Ambassador

**Edited: **_02/03/09_

**Edited: **_05/30/10_

* * *

**Chapter XX:  
Deling's Ambassador**

* * *

Rinoa had told them confidently that it would only take an hour and a half at the most to get to the television station from the Forest Owl's base. Selphie had figured that Rinoa and the Forest Owls knew Timber far better than she or the other two SeeDs did and had taken her word for it.

But that proved to have been a mistake because, apparently, an hour and a half only equated to travel time if nothing eventful happened.

While Rinoa most definitely did know her way around Timber remarkably well for being a native, she had failed to take into account the potential obstacles that would get in their way. For starters, she didn't take into account how the Galbadians – normally prone to pick on the citizens of Timber who don't have a high regard for them anyway – could go on a bender and then choose to pick fights with people who pass them by just out of the blue. For instance, in front of the pub they just frequented while innocent bystanders might want to simply bypass said pub to get to the back alley behind it.

That had been a headache in the making. They had expected the increase on soldiers, what with the attempting kidnapping having fallen flat on its face. According to the reports, their group was being labelled terrorists (a point that both Rinoa and Zone had been indignant about when they'd first heard of it), but when they were drunk out of their minds, they were a hazard to deal with. They'd picked a fight with them based on the fact that the SeeDs were foreigners, of whom it was assumed were visiting the commuter town. That proved to be an error on their part because Zell took care of them easily enough. That being said, it was most definitely not fun.

And apparently Rinoa's worry about them being stopped from entering the pub because they were all underage was the least of their concerns. No, it was drunk unhappy assholes who were stranded in Timber because their train was cut off due to said attempted kidnapping. The guy was loud, whiney and obnoxious, and was asked to leave three times by the owner, only to be waved off as the drunk continued to drink his booze.

Selphie hadn't been able to understand just why they didn't throw him out or even why they didn't cut him off, but she supposed it might have something to do with his size. The guy was huge, way bigger than Squall and Zell combined. Who wouldn't be intimidated by that? But that was why bars and pubs hired bouncers, wasn't it? To keep the intimidating, well, intimidated?

But when the guy started moaning and groaning about a card he'd lost when he got hassled by the Galbadian soldiers outside, Selphie had made the connection. The smallest of their group, she had simply sauntered on over (to the amazement of the patrons and the rest of her team) and handed over the card she'd found on the ground after Zell mopped the concrete with the goons. He'd been much easier to deal with after that and had moved out of the way for them to the alley.

Both incidences had eaten up quite a bit of time (and patience). Add the knowledge that they had to travel carefully and avoid the soldiers patrolling the streets (who were stopping random people and asking for ID) and it took more than an hour and a half. Selphie made a mental note to remind herself not to ask Rinoa to help plot out destinations in the future.

Soon after leaving the pub they were climbing a set of winding stairs that would take them to the entrance to the Television station. By then, Selphie could tell that both Squall and Zell were grappling with themselves and it was only a matter of time before either of them snapped. Selphie wouldn't have blamed them, because she was at her wits end as well. Personally though, she expected Zell to blow his top first, since she knew he was the most hot-headed of the trio.

They reached the top of the winding steps and found themselves atop a landing that presented them with an outrageously awesome view of a giant outdoor television. Selphie especially was mesmerized by the sight, because it never would have occurred to her to advertise to the public in the outdoors with such a thing. She blamed it on how isolated Trabia Garden was from the nearest towns. It was at least a three day hike to the nearest town. Balamb Garden was at least lucky they were a good three hours away from Balamb Town, or so her feet thought.

Nevertheless, it was due to her upbringing in the eternally winter continent that caused her to become distracted by the sight. "Heey! An outdoor TV! That is soooo cool!"

She bounced from foot to foot, clapping her hands in her excitement, feeling very much like a kid running loose in a candy store. Beside her, Zell looked bored, almost like he was trying to ignore her, but he whistled as he took in the sight of the television and started rambling on about the specs that made it up. According to him, it was at least 100 feet wide, and she'd thought 32 inch televisions had been huge.

Unfortunately it didn't look like it was playing anything. All they saw on the screen was static, like someone hadn't plugged it into their cable provider.

"That noise is creepy," Rinoa said, rubbing her arms with her hands. "What is it?"

"It's a noise that gets broadcast over most other frequencies," Squall answered. It surprised Selphie because Zell was s'posed to be the tech-head of their group. "Since most places use online HD or chocobo messengers in order to communicate, there's no need to use any other frequencies. Because this station operates on radio waves, the Galbadians will have to do something about it before they can broadcast their message."

"Wow..." Selphie said, staring up at the static.

"Yeah, I was kinda wondering about that myself," Zell said before grinning at Squall. "Maybe there's hope of ya being a tech-head yet."

Squall snorted. Selphie giggled.

"So we'll just wait for them to get rid of that noise and we'll kindly step in," Rinoa said, but before she could say anything else, another static sound came from the communicator Rinoa was wearing. She pressed the button. "What is it Zone?"

"Bad news," Zone said clearly from his end and Rinoa frowned in response. Selphie exchanged glances with the other two but said nothing, opting to listen as it was loud enough for them to hear. "Watts just called. The President's in the studio right now and the place is swarming with Galbadian soldiers. Watts says he thinks something happened and now the President's in a rush to make his announcement and leave. There're just too many guards for us to take out at once, so we can't just storm the place."

"Oh..." Rinoa said, sounding as dejected as she looked. "Okay. Just give me an update when you can."

She cut off the connection and turned to look at the SeeDs. Selphie, Squall and Zell were all waiting for what she had to say. "I take it you heard everything, so I'll skip the explanation. It seems like we can't just rush in after all, and we have no information regarding the solder's formation or anything along those lines."

Selphie caught Squall shift his weight from one side to the other and couldn't help but agree with his unspoken remark. If they had just done the research beforehand like he had suggested in the first place, they would have expected this turn of events and planned accordingly.

Rinoa was oblivious to this exchange however and continued regardless. "That means we're gonna have to come up with a new plan, _now_."

She started pacing, her hand on her chin as she appeared thoughtful. Selphie and Zell exchanged puzzle glances and from the looks of it, and Squall simply waited, looking like a blank canvass. There was no telling what the Squad leader was thinking, but she doubted it was anything good, given the circumstances.

The raven haired girl suddenly stopped in her tracks before turning to speak to them. "Okay, here's what we're going to do. We're gonna wait."

"Wait?" Selphie asked in surprise. Of all the things to expect, waiting seemed the least likely, given their objective.

Rinoa nodded in response. "Once the President's done his broadcast, he and his goons will leave the building, more than likely just leaving the standard security behind. That's we'll do _our_ broadcast. It won't be nearly as influential, but there's no way we'll be able to stand up to all those guards if we just charge on through. Even if you're SeeDs, you're not invincible, right? What do you guys think?"

No one said anything. Selphie had thought the question was rhetorical, but after a moment she realized Rinoa was asking for their opinion. Squall seemed to realize this too, because he sighed in exasperation before speaking. "You don't have to worry about us," he said. "We'll fight your enemies based on your decision. However you want us to deal with this, we have no problem with it. That's our job."

"You tell us to go," Zell said, jumping in, "we go, even if it _is_ a losing battle. We don't care."

"Yeah, just want you to know," Selphie said, beaming, "whatever you want us to do, I'm ready for it."

Rinoa looked from Squall, to Zell and then to Selphie before shaking her head. Selphie's smile fell when she saw it and wondered what the problem was. They just gave her the go-ahead and she was looking at them like they were aliens. "Act on my decision, right?"

Selphie and Zell nodded. Rinoa laughed suddenly. Selphie couldn't see where the big joke was. "That's... really sad actually. Just follow blindly. _That's _your duty. You're not allowed to think for yourself, and you're expected to act solely on what your employers tell you to. What an easy life you guys must lead."

"Whatever," Squall said and Selphie realized that Rinoa had just crossed a line. Taking a look at the Squad leader was all she needed to verify this thought and she backed away slightly, not knowing what to do when Squall got angry. She'd never seen him like this before. In fact, the closest to being really angry he'd ever been was after having to follow Seifer around during the Field Exam just to wind up being ditched by him and his friends in Balamb, resulting in the three hour hike back to the Garden.

Now though, he looked to be at the end of his patience and Selphie couldn't help but marvel at just how long a thread that was. "You can call it whatever you want to, but the fact of the matter is we're here to do what you _want _us to do. All _we_ want is for you to achieve your goal by utilizing our help."

Selphie was about to breathe a sigh of relief, but she hitched that intake of breath when she realized he wasn't done. "But with the way things have been going so far, I find it difficult to believe that what you're doing is going to make any difference at all."

Selphie gasped and Zell's jaw dropped. Rinoa looked as though Squall had just physically assaulted her. Apparently she hadn't expected the attack on her resistance faction, though Selphie couldn't completely fault Squall for having said what he had, despite not having expected it. The three SeeDs were in agreement in regards to the Forest Owls. They were unorganized and impulsive, and they never had any concrete plans they could fall back on. They only ever covered one base, leaving multiple methods of ruining their plans. In fact, the only plan that had seemed to have any merits at all had been the attempted assassination. Everything else after that had gone downhill.

Still, Selphie would have assumed that, as the hired muscle, they would keep their opinions of the group to themselves. They didn't get to choose who they worked for after all. Though clearly, the knowledge of this measly little group that had no leg to stand on badmouthing SeeD for the way they ran their operations had been the final straw for Squall.

After a moment, Rinoa's shock gave way to anger and she balled her fists at her side, her arm shaking violently from the force. For a second, Selphie thought that she was about to slap Squall for what he had said and she wasn't looking forward to the onslaught that would ensue afterwards. "What did you just say?"

Squall seemed to realize what he'd said, because he leaned back against the railing and averted his gaze. Selphie could just picture him berating himself mentally, but he didn't answer Rinoa's question. The diminutive SeeD decided that this was probably a good idea, otherwise the situation might just escalate even farther out of control.

Unfortunately, Squall's silence seemed to make Rinoa angrier. "Hey, if you have something to say, you better say it right now."

"Forget it," Squall said, shaking his head. Judging by how the muscle in his jaw clenched as he spoke, Selphie could tell that he was trying really hard not to bite her head off. She was a client after all and it wasn't ever any good to upset the client.

"Just tell me what you have to say," Rinoa snapped. "This is an _order_. An order from your client. If you have something you need to get off your chest, then you damn well better just saw it! Right _now_!"

"Oh boy," Selphie heard Zell mutter under his breath as the look on Squall's face darkened considerably. Just by judging that, she knew that Squall was gonna let her have it. After all, she'd asked for it. That didn't stop Selphie from covering her eyes, as though she were a witness to a train wreck and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"How serious are you about this?" Squall said, staring her right in the face. Rinoa looked stunned for a moment and was about to answer when Squall cut her off. "No, really? How serious are you? You plop down on the floor to discuss strategy and think you've come up with a foolproof plan in the span of five minutes? No wonder we're in the position we're in right now, because _none_ of you thought things through enough to know that just charging in without a backup plan was just asking for trouble.

"We gave suggestions on how to handle this," Squall continued to press and Rinoa's jaw clenched at the reprimand she was receiving. It didn't look like she was used to being told off like this. "We told you that it would be a good idea to scout the area, to ensure that we knew the formations of every soldier in this area in order to prepare for this kind of situation and you all blew us off. And then you turn around and mock us because we tell you we'll do whatever you want to complete you're objective? Which is it supposed to be? Do we think, or don't we think?

"And while we're on the subject, do you know what message it sends us when you ask _us _for our opinion regarding what you should or shouldn't do? It tells us that you cannot make a decision without our input, which tells us that you have absolutely no idea at all what you're doing. How do you think that makes _us _fell, working for someone like that?"

"Squall," Zell said, leaning forward. Selphie mirrored the action, her hands behind her back. "Chill out, man."

"You're being way too hard on her," Selphie added before glancing back at Rinoa. Her jaw was clenched so tightly it looked like she might break it from the force.

Squall looked between the pair before turning his back on Rinoa, shaking his head as he did so. It didn't look like an apology was forthcoming, but that was fine. They'd gotten him to stop at least.

No one said anything for a moment. Zell stared up at the screen, probably hoping that the President's broadcast would come on already and distract them from what just happened. Selphie kept looking between Squall and Rinoa. The former looked like he was trying to calm down, and the latter looked like he'd slapped her. She just hoped they'd managed to prevent the situation from escalating further. They'd have to sort out their problems later when they weren't on an operation if they were going to continue working in Timber. And with that contract, there was no one who could switch out with them if it got to the point where they were unable to work together.

Finally, the silence was broken when Rinoa looked back up at them. "You know what," she said, and her voice cracked a little as she spoke, proving to them that she was trying to remain composed. "Maybe this was all just a really big mistake. I thought that once SeeD showed up, everything would get easier, that everything would be fine. But I guess it's really not that easy, is it?"

Selphie tried very hard not to exchange glances with either of her team-mates, and Rinoa took the silence as an incentive to continue. "You were all hired, so it's not like you're one of us. You're only here because we paid your Garden. You didn't join of your own volition."

She took a deep breath and it almost sounded as though she was fighting back tears. "We'll cancel the plan and disband for now. We don't exactly stand a chance if we just rush in on a half-baked plan, right?"

This time, Selphie did look around to gauge everyone else's expressions. Squall had just turned back around with his stony-neutral expression, and Zell was staring goggle-eyed at Rinoa, no doubt as surprised as Selphie was at her decision. Selphie knew she was taking what Squall said personally, she could tell by the expression on Rinoa's face.

"So you guys must think this is all just some big game to us," Rinoa said, and the tears that had been pooling in her eyes started to fall down her cheeks. She couldn't hold them back any longer. Her hands were clenched at her sides and it looked like she was resisting the urge to wipe them away. "But it's _not_. We _are_ serious."

The diminutive SeeD whirled on Squall and Selphie saw that he wasn't the least bit moved by her behaviour. "So serious that it hurts!"

Being unable to hold herself back any further, she turned around and ran back the way they had come, running down the stairs and leaving them behind. Her dog, Angelo, ran after her owner.

"That was harsh," Zell said, but Squall shrugged.

"She wanted me to tell her," his tone was matter-of-fact. "If she couldn't handle it, then she shouldn't have pushed me."

Before either Zell or Selphie could say anything, the static from the screen above them cleared. "Huh?" Zell said.

"Are they starting?" Selphie asked.

Squall said nothing and soon enough the screen cleared up. The static was replaced by a propped stage, a podium and red curtains with yellow trimmings draped up as a background. On either side of the podium were Galbadian National Flags – black background with a white insignia on the front. A man was stand at the podium. He was Caucasian, bald, and heavy set, wearing a blue striped suit. There was the sound of feedback from the microphone that sat in front of him, and he tapped it three time, the noise dissipating after a few seconds.

"Testing... one, two... testing..." the man said in a deep voice. "Testing... what?" He suddenly stopped, turning his attention to the left. He leaned forward, as though he couldn't hear what was being said to him but a moment later, he jumped back, directing his attention back towards the cameras that were gathered in front of him.

"Oh!" He exclaimed, his tone of voice betraying his excitement. "People of the world... Can you see me? C-can you _hear _me?"

His attention was diverted once again and this time, he responded faster. His speech quickened in his excitement. "Oh this is absolutely incredible! Ladies and Gentlemen, this is _not_ a recording! This is a live broadcast over the air! The very _first_ broadcast possible through radio waves since Esthar's mysterious disappearance! That's right, everyone! It's been seventeen years since a broadcast like this has been possible! Oh!"

He paused, almost as though someone was talking to him. "Oh, please excuse me, I seem to have lost my composure." He cleared his throat audibly. "We would like to present to you today a message from the lifelong President of Galbadia, Vinzer Deling."

He looked around, as though he were looking for an exit and finally he shuffled off the stage as the theme to Galbadia's national anthem played out. The words to the song did not play, though they didn't need to and, after a moment, the President of Galbadia stepped forward. He was wearing the same navy blue suit as the body double had earlier, and a feeling of deja vu nearly swept over Selphie. She half-expected Deling to transform into the hideous Gerogero right before their eyes and she was barely able to suppress a shiver from the thought.

"Greetings. For those of you who do not know, I am Vinzer Deling, the lifelong President of Galbadia."

"The voters made a huge mistake," Zell muttered under his breath. Selphie shushed him.

"I understand that many of you have your own lives to focus on, and that this interruption is a mere hindrance in your plans, so I will make this announcement very short." He spoke like a true politician. His voice boomed confidently as though he were speaking to a live crowd. "I come before you all today to make the following proposition. As human beings, we have power. We have the power to make choices that will either benefit us or harm us. We have the power to choose how we live, and the circumstances that surround us all. As such, we, as people, as _human beings_, have the power to end all wars..."

"See, see!" Selphie said, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "What'd I tell you? It's a peace proposal to the _whole_ world! I _knew_ it!"

"Unfortunately, instances of the past – the choices we have _all _made – have made the struggle for peace difficult. The trial is long and tiring, and most people would have, no doubt, given up the prospect for lost. Because of decisions of the past, there are some trifling problems between Galbadia and the other nations of the world that stand in the way of peace."

Beside her, Squall snorted. Selphie knew he was thinking about the attack on Dollet barely two weeks ago.

"As an act of good faith on my part, I wish to meet with the other nation's leaders in order to find a means of resolution or compromise between us all. I, of course, as a leader of my own nation, cannot presume to be objective in this endeavour, as I will undoubtedly seek what is best for my country, which may not meet the standards of the other nations. At this point in time, I would like to introduce to you the ambassador who will be my representative for the conference."

"This is ridiculous," Zell said incredulously. He leaned back on his right leg and practically glared at the screen in front of him. "All this publicity and security _just_ to announce some stupid ambassador?"

Obviously, Deling could not hear Zell's complaint and he continued regardless of the interruption. "The ambassador is none other than the legendary Sorceress..."

"The Sorceress?" Squall asked, almost as incredulous as Zell had been a moment prior.

Selphie remembered learning about the Sorceress in Garden; they were women said to have inherited powers from Hyne, and were thus known as Hyne's Descendants (at least that was the proper and polite way of addressing one). Throughout history many Sorceresses used their powers for their own gain and because of that many people to this day were afraid of them. They utilized magical energies – real magic as opposed to the para-magic SeeD used – to the extent where regular people envied them. SeeDs usage of magic was just skimming off the top layer of it all. Even Selphie couldn't control magic to the extent that Sorceresses of the past could.

In fact, the last Sorceress she had ever heard of was Adel, the tyrannical ruler of Esthar. She was the best known example of a Sorceress who used her powers to sway the minds of the people who served her. If anything, it was because of Adel that the war two decades ago had taken place. It had been later renamed 'The Sorceress War' because of the role she had played in it, though it was only the second. Galbadia had stood up against Adel and both countries had fought against one another until, suddenly, Adel and Esthar disappeared without a trace.

Selphie hadn't known that there was another Sorceress left, but that in itself was unsurprising. Because of the stigma that came from Sorceresses, there weren't very many known ones out there. It was possible that there were some who opted to keep to themselves, and thus were anonymous in the grand scheme of things and Selphie couldn't help but wonder about this Sorceress that Deling had allied himself with. Unfortunately, before Deling could identify who she was, a familiar looking blonde with short cropped hair and a silver trench coat ran into the view of the camera, knocking down a Galbadian soldier who'd obviously tried to stop him.

"Huh?" Zell shouted as Squall stood up even straighter. "It's Seifer?"

"What's he doing there?" Selphie asked curiously.

Two Galbadian soldiers managed to grab Seifer from behind, but he just stood there, letting the two of them hold him steady. Then a third came charging in, and Seifer kicked him, causing the blue-clad man to collide with the camera providing the image of this confrontation, knocking it off kilter so that they were viewing things as though they were lying down on their side. Then Seifer elbowed the two soldiers holding him, and they flew off screen. Selphie realized that, like them, he was junctioned. It was the only explanation she could think of to how strong he appeared.

Instantly after he was freed, Seifer ran over to Deling, who tried to run off screen. He grabbed the President, held him where he stood with the Hyperion drawn and held it against his throat.

Just when she didn't think things could get any weirder, Selphie saw another familiar blonde figure run across the screen and stop a few feet away from Seifer. Two Galbadian soldiers followed her, and levelled their weapons at both her and the cadet. The woman, however, did not withdraw her own weapon, and turned to regard the soldiers.

"Instructor Trepe?" Zell asked, sounding even more confused. Selphie didn't know why he still called her that. It was a well known fact that she'd been terminated as an instructor around the same time they graduated. She chalked it up to being from habit and didn't correct him.

"Stay back," Quistis shouted through the screen. Her command was aimed at the soldiers.

"Squall!" Selphie shouted, whirling around to face the Squad leader. "What do we do?"

"For the last time, stay back!" Quistis continued to shout at the soldiers. "You're only going to provoke him and make things worse!"

"Squall!" Zell said, looking at Squall in a way that implored him to act.

"Nothing," Squall answered. His expression staying the same even as Zell and Selphie shot him incredulous stares. "Our job is to assist the Forest Owls. Whatever's going on over there is none of our business."

Almost as though to contradict his decision, Quistis turned to look at the camera (the Galbadian soldiers finally opted to back off by this point). "Timber team!" She said, drawing the trio's attention. "Timber team, can you hear me? Are you watching? Get over here, _now_! You have permission! I need your help!"

And to add a feeling of ominous foreboding, the screen reverted back to its original static appearance.

"Squall!" Zell shouted at the same time Selphie shouted at him.

Shaking his head, Squall started up the stairs in a run to the station, and both Selphie and Zell followed in close pursuit.

* * *

It hadn't taken very long for them to enter. The Galbadians had apparently dealt with casualties due to Seifer's attacks and the ones who hadn't had opted to stay out of their way. Along the simply decorated hallway was the odd security guard who was trying to figure out what had happened, but they weren't deterred from their destination. After a few minutes of running, they arrived at the scene that they had witnessed on the other side of the camera. It was a small room with a set positioned at the far end. There were three camera's positioned along the base of the stage with five light stands behind them, and the floor was covered in wires.

Quistis turned to look behind her when they approached and she whirled back around, glaring at Seifer. "We _need_ to restrain him."

Squall looked from Quistis to Seifer, and saw Deling was standing perfectly still. Who wouldn't with a sword primed at his jugular?

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Squall asked.

"What's it look like?" Seifer snapped and Squall figured that he'd had the sense to not use their names. He didn't know if the picture had improved since they'd left the landing, but he didn't want to take any chances. "You wanted this prick, right? So what were you planning to do with him?"

Squall was about to ask him what he was talking about but he suddenly stopped himself. Of course he'd have a stake in this mission. He knew Rinoa and was the sole reason why this mission had taken place to begin with. Surely though, coming to help Rinoa wasn't entirely a part of the plan, otherwise he would've made it a point to become a SeeD member like them. No doubt he wanted the glory, but there had to be something else about it.

Furthermore, the cadet didn't know what he was talking about. Rinoa's plans for the President had been pushed to the side in favour of declaring Timber's independence. If they had pressed forward with the operation instead of Rinoa running off feeling sorry for herself, the whole operation would have gone to shit.

"Oh, I get it," Zell piped up, having seen the connection between them as well. It was a quick observation, given that he didn't know half of what Squall knew. "So you're Rinoa's..."

"Shut the fuck up, Chickenwuss!" Seifer snapped before Squall could jump in.

Zell cut himself off from his retort and started to tremble, clenching and unclenching his fists in anger. Squall turned to Selphie and quickly told her to start cutting the wires. There was no telling what was going to be said during this struggle. The girl did as she was told, bending down and withdrawing a small army knife from one of the pockets of her dress. Squall only hoped she cut them all in time.

"He broke out of the brig," Quistis explained and Squall realized she was answering his unvoiced question. "I don't know when it happened exactly, but he managed to kill a few people and injure tons more in the process."

Squall's eyes narrowed at the accusation, turning to look at Seifer. There was no shift in his expression and given his track record Squall could very much believe that the older teenager was capable of violence. However, in the previous times he'd escape from the brig, no one had ever gotten hurt or killed in his capture. Somehow, Squall knew that this situation was different, though he wasn't altogether sure why.

"What the..." Zell said, looking between Quistis and Seifer, his expression mutinous. "You... you _fucking asshole_!"

"Zell," Squall said, his tone sharp. "Be quiet."

But the last word was drowned out when Zell spoke over him. "Instructor, I know what you're gonna do!"

Squall eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen and he tried to tell him to stop, but Zell continued regardless. "You're gonna take this moron back to Garden, aren't you?"

"Zell, _shut up_!" Squall shouted, but it was too late. The damage had been done.

At some point, Selphie had looked up and was staring at Zell like she'd never met him before – her knife clattered to the floor beneath her in her shock. Quistis' expression had shifted from annoyance to total disbelief and Seifer looked downright outraged. The only one who appeared to be calm and even mildly amused about the whole exchange was Deling. "I see. You're all from Garden."

Zell finally realized his blunder and he covered his mouth with his gloved hand. The colour had drained from his features, causing him to look as white as a sheet. Deling took no notice of any of this as he continued to speak in that callously smug tone of voice only a politician could perfect. "Just to let you all know, should anything happen to me, the Galbadian military will most certainly crush Garden."

Almost leisurely, he looked back to Seifer, as though he were appraising an old acquaintance. "You may let go of me now."

Instead of complying with him, however, Seifer shook his head. His breathing was coming in quick and shallow and his jaw was clenched but it was his eyes and the fury that they held that captivated everyone's attention. "Way to _fucking_ go, Chickenwuss!" Seifer snarled.

For once Zell didn't react, so shocked and horrified by what he had just done. Seifer wouldn't have given him the opportunity to do so anyway. "You and your _fucking_ big mouth!"

He redirected his gaze, first from Quistis and then to Squall as he spoke. "Go ahead and take care of this mess, _Instructor_, and _Squad leader._"

He stressed the titles as though he had a bad taste in his mouth, and guided Deling back into the adjacent room behind him.

* * *

He had absolutely no idea what the fuck he was gonna do next.

Garden was fucked thanks to the Chickenwuss, Deling would see to that. The dictator wasn't about to forgive this insult. Hell even Rinoa's name had been brought up, but he knew that it was a common enough name. He was banking on the soldiers believing it was someone else with that name involved. Still, the implications of her arrest should they put two and two together…

Seifer shook himself of the thought. Now was _not_ the time to worry about shit like that.

He had no idea why he'd opted to cover for Squall and Quistis. Both of them had been thorns in his side for as long as he could remember and it would serve them both right if they got arrested for crimes against the President. He figured it had something to do with loyalty. The Garden was his home after all. It was all he'd ever known and he'd be lost if he suddenly couldn't go back. As far as he was concerned, he was outing them all if he outed any of the others, as annoying as they were.

Still, he knew that, this time, he'd definitely crossed that invisible line he'd been balancing on over the last few years. The Headmaster had cleaned up his messes before, but Seifer wasn't so sure that even he could pull enough strings to get him out of the thick of it this time. Like it or not, he'd have to think of something on his own.

But fuck if he couldn't think of anything to, literally, save his ass.

"You're not going to get away with this, you know," Deling said in that overly confident voice of his. But Seifer could tell the man was bullshitting. He was sweating an awful lot for a man who had the situation under control. Despite what happened to the Garden, Seifer could easily end the little worm here and now and the dictator knew it.

"Why do fuckers like you _insist_ on quoting such cliché movie lines?" Seifer snapped bitterly as he brought the man further up onto the stage in the back. The room was painted blue while the stage was a light shade of purple and there were transparent curtains everywhere. He didn't know who was responsible for the fucked up decorations, and he didn't really care. He just needed to get out.

"Because it's the truth," Deling stated like it was fact. "I assure you that you will not be walking out of here alive. Not with my soldiers keeping an eye out for you."

_Fuck_, Seifer growled deep in his throat. _He's fucking right. Now what the fuck do I do?_

He hadn't even _thought_ of the stupid soldiers, not since his encounter with the instructor in the hallway. He should've just taken them all out when he'd had the chance. But no, he had to run off and tackle the big fish. He should've known they'd be too much for the instructor to handle. Fucking bitch had screwed him big time. He figured it was payback for getting her sacked.

He made a visual sweep of the room, not trusting Deling enough to stay put should he release him for a more decent inspection. All he could see were the shitty transparent curtains. There wasn't even a hidden slot for an easy escape. He cursed the architects who designed the place, and the people who built it. Did _no one_ know how to make a secret door anymore?

He glared at the rest of the room in disgust. His SeeD training wasn't doing him shit. What good was learning about escape procedures if they didn't do him any fucking good when he needed them?

"Poor, poor boy..." A voice sounded from nowhere.

Seifer looked up as soon as he'd heard it and looked for the source, but couldn't find one. The voice was distinctly female, but he couldn't tell much else just from the sound.

And then he saw it. There was black smoke coming from one of the curtains on the stage. Out from the smoke appeared a woman dressed in a long black dress that clung to her every curve. The dress showed ample amount of cleavage and her hair was pulled back into a short style. A red veil prevented him from seeing her face, but there was something familiar and yet foreign about her that he couldn't quite decipher.

He tightened his grip on the Hyperion, and held Deling in place. He didn't know _what_ this bitch was, or where she'd come from, but whatever it was she had planned he wasn't going down without a fight. If anything, Deling could serve as a somewhat decent meat shield. "Stay the _fuck_ away from me."

"You're very confused, are you not?" the woman continued, appearing not to care about the President. He could feel her eyes fixed solely onto him and he didn't like it one bit. "Such a confused child. What do you wish to do? Step forward? Retreat. You know you must decide."

"I said stay back!" Seifer snapped. He cursed at the weakness in his voice. This fucking bitch shouldn't scare him. _Nothing_ scared him.

He heard quick footfalls come from behind him, but the woman in black raised a hand and they suddenly stopped. Turning to look – because his curiosity got the better of him – he realized it was Quistis. It looked as though she'd come after him, probably to stop him, only she was frozen in mid stride, almost as though she were trying to reach him.

The woman seemingly dismissed the sight and instead returned her attention back to Seifer. "The child in you is telling you to come at me while the man tells you to back away. You are stuck in the middle. You cannot decide. You do not know which is the right answer."

Seifer turned his attention away from the frozen Quistis and back to the woman. There was something unnerving in the way she was talking to him, almost like she knew him better than he knew himself. His breathing quickened even more and he found himself taking shallow breaths in an attempt to try to control himself. He would _not_ let this bitch get the better of him.

"You want help, do you not?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. "You wish to be saved from this predicament, so that you do not have to make the decision yourself. You _wish_ she could save you, that someone could."

He knew she was talking about the instructor and the Greenies. He didn't need to be a genius to figure that out. Seifer scowled darkly at her almost outraged by her insinuations. He had _never_ wanted to be saved in his entire life. He made the situation, and he got out of it. He never asked or begged people for help, especially not those idiots. Sure the Headmaster stuck his neck out for him, but fuck all if he knew why.

He tightened his grip on Deling, who grunted in discomfort, but Seifer didn't care. "Shut the _fuck _up!"

"You are ashamed," the woman said and from beneath the veil, he could tell she was smiling. "There is no need to be ashamed. You should _not_ be ashamed to ask for help. After all, you are still only a child."

"I'm no..." Seifer trailed off, shaking his head. It was suddenly growing hotter in the room; he was beginning to sweat as much as Deling. "What the... _Stop_ calling me that!"

The woman straightened up. The knowing smile had disappeared, and he was fairly certain she looked puzzled. "You do not wish to be a child any longer?"

"I am _not_ a _child_!" He roared angrily. The words echoed off the walls and the ceiling that surrounded them, sending their intensity all around them.

The woman stared at him, nonplussed at his shouts before she suddenly nodded. "Alright."

And suddenly, Seifer felt different. Very different in fact. He blinked and examined the room, wondering what the hell he was doing and why he was doing it. It wasn't the mechanics or the reasoning that confused him, but the fact that, a moment ago, it had all seemed so damned important. He'd escaped Garden to come to Timber and attack a President? What kind of bone-headed idea was that?

Even now, he still held the man against his will. If Deling made one false move his throat would be slit open and there'd be no saving his ass. He wondered why it was so important to cling to Deling like he was his life line, when in fact it was the complete opposite. He had nothing to gain and everything to lose.

And with his mind made up, he released his grip on Deling, who stumbled slightly, gasping for breath. Seifer kept his gaze settled on the woman before him. He didn't care what the worm did with his freedom, it no longer mattered to him. He heard the asshole hightail it out of there through a door in the back and he realized he'd been so concerned with getting out that he had completely missed it.

It was amazing what a clear mind could do for a guy as desperate as he had been.

The woman nodded her approval at him and for some reason, the weight on his shoulders shifted. He almost felt weightless. It was a strange feeling, and yet he found himself enjoying it. "Come with me," the woman said, her voice lofty and inviting, "to a place of no return. There, you can bid farewell to your childhood, and greet your future with a warm embrace."

He felt himself breathing easier now. It no longer took any effort to take calming breaths of air, and at that moment he realized what he had to do, what the obvious choice was. It felt as though the decision had been made for him a long while ago, and that he was only just beginning to realize it now.

He ascended the stairs to where the woman stood waiting for him. She did not gesture or extend her hand in silent invitation but simply waited for the inevitable. Just as he'd reached the top steps he heard more footfalls, and saw Squall and his team enter the room.

The woman beside him saw them too. She raised a hand and, as it had happened with Quistis, the three of them froze in their place, unable to move or to intercept them. The only difference was that this time, Seifer didn't care.

The black smoke reappeared in the same place it had when the woman had first appeared. She gestured for him to pass through it and he knew nothing bad would come of it. Without hesitation, he walked through the mist, and knew instinctively that the woman was following...


	22. Chapter XXI: Withdrawing from Timber

**Edited: **_02/03/09_

**Edited: **_05/30/10_

* * *

**Chapter XXI:  
Withdrawing from Timber**

* * *

All she could do was run, her breath coming out in pants as she continued to her destination.

She'd been a wreck upon leaving the SeeD people behind, knowing that their operation was for nothing. She knew well enough to understand that a group that couldn't work in harmony wouldn't work well at all. Hiring SeeD had been a mistake. Of course they wouldn't understand their plight, they were here because of a paycheque.

She'd gotten the slight inkling of their attitude upon providing them with her copy of the contract earlier on. Their reactions to the duration had been downright insulting and she'd only reminded them that there was no complaining because she hadn't wanted to hear it. The Forest Owls were the only ones standing up to the Galbadians and if SeeD had a beef with the way they did things, then maybe they could continue without their help.

Still, Rinoa had not been looking forward to explaining the situation to Zone or Watts, not that they'd been the ones to pay for it. It turned out to be the worst financial decision she had ever made, and there was no way she could possibly get that money back, especially not with the way she'd gotten her contract to begin with. It wasn't Cid's fault that his people were elitist dicks after all.

So she'd run back to their base, with Angelo at her heels trying to mull over how to best explain what had happened but had been forced to stop short when she'd found their base. Or what was left of it anyway.

Somehow the Galbadians had managed to find them and had torn apart their train base. She didn't know how they'd found them, nor could she believe it. They'd been careful whenever they conducted their operations or gathered information. Furthermore, the only people who knew about the connection of the train outside the Forest Owls had been the SeeDs and the two soldiers they were holding prisoner. SeeD wouldn't have betrayed her, not when they were fighting per contract, and the soldiers had no means of contacting their people.

She watched as the Galbadians removed every single piece of the documentation they'd secured over the last year – which were mostly kept on paper, which would more than likely be used against them should the Galbadians arrest them all. Fortunately, she saw no arrests being issued, which had to mean the Owls had managed to escape. She silently congratulated Zone, who had mentioned something about hacking the radios of the two kidnapped soldiers from the train mission. He must've gotten word of the siege attempt and had ordered everyone to abandon the base. It was unlikely that they took any of the data they'd secured with them, and despite the setback this would cause, Rinoa was just glad everyone got out alright.

Having obtained all the necessary information she needed, Rinoa had turned right back around and headed towards the Television Station, Angelo easily keeping up with her. If they'd grabbed all of the plans, then they'd know (or at least suspect) where their next operation was taking place. She'd left the SeeD people standing in front of the outdoor television and, somehow, she knew they were still within the vicinity. She could at least warn them so they knew what to expect. In her panic, she'd forgotten all about the exchange that had led her to abandon their plan in the first place.

She got to the station in record time and managed to bypass security, having taken the back entrance (the front was under heavy guard). She ran down the hallways, going mostly ignored by everyone she passed, but when she entered a large room with blue walls and purple curtains, she froze when she took in the scene. Standing at the far side of the room and looking as though they'd just come in where four people. Squall, Selphie and Zell were at the furthest end of the room. It looked as though they'd been the last to enter. Ahead of them was a blonde woman in a peach outfit that Rinoa didn't know and had never seen before.

At first she wondered what they were doing, but as she'd gone further into the room, she realized the four of them were all frozen in their tracks.

Rinoa didn't know what could have possibly caused this, but her guess would have been magic. Seifer had told her all about the different kinds of spells SeeD could use and the Garden trained their students on, and it seemed plausible that they would learn how to manipulate time as well. Unfortunately, she very barely knew the basics of magic casting and had no idea how to reverse the effects. She knew it would only be a matter of time before the guards came in and caught her, but she damn well couldn't carry _one_ of them let alone them all. So, without an idea of what she could do in the meantime, Rinoa sat down on the stairs of the stage, her elbows propped up onto her knees, and she waited. Angelo lay down beside her and rested her head on one of the steps. Rinoa scratched behind the dog's ears in response.

She didn't know how long she'd just sat there like that, but after a while she heard someone stumble forward. Turning around, she realized it was the blonde woman and was relieved to know that the spell's effects weren't permanent. The blonde woman turned around in what Rinoa could only guess to be an inspection of the room and started when she caught sight of the three SeeDs behind her. Turning back around, she finally spotted the raven-haired girl, who had risen to her feet in response to the sudden movement.

The confused expression intensified as she stared at the raven-haired girl. Rinoa couldn't blame her, after all she knew she hadn't been there when the spell had been first cast.

"...Who are you?" The blonde girl finally asked tentatively. Rinoa could see some vague recognition on her part, but decided it wasn't important to ask about it. Rinoa also noted that this girl spoke with a vaguely distinct Dollet accent. It seemed to have been tapered down, which told her she hadn't been to the dukedom in a while.

"My name's Rinoa," Rinoa said with a verbal shrug. Angelo yawned and moved her head away from her owner. "And this is Angelo. What happened here?"

"I... don't really know," the other girl said before she looked as though she had just realized something. She walked past Rinoa and stood at the very top of the platform, as though looking for someone. "Where did he go?"

"Where'd who go?" Rinoa asked. Angelo whined beside her and Rinoa signalled for the collie to stay put. The dog did so obediently.

The girl whirled back around and a suspicious expression crossed her features, overtaking her earlier confusion. "And why is _that_ any of your business."

Rinoa was about to answer, but she caught movement from behind the blond girl. Turning around she saw Squall and the others shake off the effects of the spell, all of whom looked just as confused as this other girl.

"When'd you get back here, Rinoa?" Selphie asked after spotting the raven-haired girl. She took sight of Angelo and waved at the dog, who looked up brightly but still stayed her place.

"A few minutes ago," Rinoa replied brightly, and the look that crossed the blonde woman's expression mirrored their confusion.

"Why did you come back at all?" Squall asked. Selphie responded by jabbing him in the stomach with her elbow. He didn't flinch.

Rinoa took in a deep breath before releasing it. The words hurt, as did the memory of the words that were exchanged before they'd parted ways, but she should've expected them. Instead of yelling at him however, she opted to take the higher road. "I'll tell you in a minute. Right now, I think we'd better get out of here."

"Where's Deling?" The blonde woman asked, looking around.

Rinoa shrugged. "He wasn't around when I got here."

No one questioned her further and they all walked out of the building in silence, heading from the entrance back towards the large Television screen where she'd left Squall and the team. There were security teams on alert, but obviously the large majority of the guards had already left with Deling. At this point in time, Rinoa didn't know or care where the Galbadians were headed next, just so long as they got out without getting themselves arrested.

For the most part, everyone traveled in silence, but when they reached the giant television Rinoa finally spoke, feeling confident that they were out of earshot of the Galbadian soldiers. "The Galbadians found our base. It's been completely trashed. I don't know what happened, but they know we were the one's responsible for the attempted kidnapping."

"What about everyone else?" Selphie asked.

Rinoa laughed. "It's okay. They're really good at escaping." Angelo barked in what she assumed was agreement.

They continued down the stairs and reached the gate that led into the back alley. They had traveled in silence, but when they reached the gate, Rinoa suddenly stopped, which caused everyone else to mimic the action. "Because the Galbadians found our base, it'll only be a matter of time before we get implicated. So we're going to have to stay away from Timber for a while."

She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly before continuing. She knew the rest of the Owls would be safe, but her situation was an entirely different story. "Is there somewhere safe you guys can take me?"

Before Squall could say anything, Rinoa put her hands on her hips. "Remember, this is an order from your client."

Squall sighed in response, shaking his head and she knew that she had won. "Thank you, Squall," she said brightly.

He scowled at her in response.

"Well, whatever we're going to be doing, we'd best do it quickly," the blonde girl pointed out. "The Galbadians are sure to be looking for us, starting around here."

* * *

Rinoa had led them through the alleyway and into the pub where they'd been stopped by the pub owner's wife – a heavy set woman wearing a brown shirt, a green skirt and a blue bandana not unlike Watts'. She also had a white apron on and she had looked like she'd been waiting for them. Rinoa had recognized her, probably from some past exchange. According to the raven-haired girl, the woman was the leader of another resistance called the Forest Foxes. She'd offered to put them up in her home while the Galbadian's conducted their search, and they'd followed her to her home.

The place was small and almost cramped with the number of people living inside. There were three other people who lived there aside from the woman, the eldest daughter with short brown hair and two young boys who were loud and obnoxious. Soon after they'd arrived, the Galbadians had shown up in order to inspect the place. They'd been ushered upstairs at that point.

They'd all hidden in the same room. It probably belonged to the woman. It had a queen sized bed, a cabinet at the far end and plenty of places to hide in should the Galbadians show up. Selphie had collapsed on top of the bed the moment they'd stepped into the room, complaining about how tired she was. Zell had opted to crouch down in the corner. He'd been very quiet ever since the Television station and Quistis thought it had everything to do with the mistake he had made. Rinoa sat against the wall next to the bed, lightly tapping her hands on her knees and occasionally patting the dog that had been following her around while Squall positioned himself close to the door, where he could listen to the sounds of the hallway where they would be better prepared.

She didn't know what their objective in Timber was (and she probably never would), but somehow Quistis got the intuitive feeling that it had been a disaster.

"I _still_ don't get it," Selphie said after a little while of silence. The soldiers still hadn't made their way upstairs and they were waiting for the inevitable to happen. "Why'd he come all the way to Timber?"

No one said anything for a moment. Selphie didn't need to elaborate for everyone to know who she was talking about. Only Rinoa looked confused and when no one said anything, Rinoa spoke up. "Wait? Who came to Timber?"

"You didn't watch the broadcast?" Selphie asked in confusion. Rinoa shook her head. "Oh boy… Probably for the best. Deling was giving his speech when all of a sudden, Seifer showed up and held him at gunblade point. It was a total disaster after that."

"So that's who you meant in that backroom?" Rinoa asked, indicating her question to Quistis. The former instructor shrugged in response.

"He was last seen with a strange woman," Quistis explained. "We don't know much about that either. One minute he was there and the next they'd vanished. Probably while we were under the effects of that spell."

"But that still doesn't explain why he'd come all the way to Timber," Selphie pointed out.

Quistis herself had a suspicion as to why. From her very brief conversation with him earlier, he had been enraged at the thought of the mission he'd helped set up being compromised by the three of them. But just as she was about to comment on it, Rinoa cut her off and gained everyone's attention.

Quistis frowned in response but opted to listen instead. "I think it was because of us. I used to talk about the resistance and freeing Timber with him all the time and he used to help us out with some of our missions, at least while he was here anyway. He might have wanted to help us again. So please, whatever he's done, don't think _too_ badly of him. He was only trying to help."

_So she knows Seifer,_ Quistis mused to herself. _Is she possibly a part of the reason why he came here like she claims?_

Quistis mentally shook the thought away. Seifer was selfish and egotistical. Even if Rinoa was a friend of his, the cadet only looked out for his own interests. However, she decided that the personal stake in this could have helped fuel his frustration with the team assignments. It was possible it was a whole mix of reasons. Maybe she'd never truly learn the whole story.

When she was certain she wouldn't be interrupted this time, Quistis cleared her throat and spoke. "As most of you already know, I've been tailing Seifer from Balamb. I caught up to him at the Television station before the broadcast. From what I ascertained – learned," because Rinoa had looked confused (though Quistis took private pleasure in knowing that she had to explain what she meant. There was something about this girl that irritated her) "Seifer was furious that you three," she directed towards the other SeeDs, "had been the ones dispatched to Timber."

"Us?" Selphie blinked in surprise. "Why us?"

"Because…" she trailed off as her gaze darted over to Rinoa and stopped herself short of answering. It would do them all no good if a client of Garden knew that the SeeD members she'd received after payment had only been inducted three weeks ago. Collecting her thoughts, she opted for a version of the truth with the intention of telling them the rest later. She covered the lapse with an exasperated sigh. Rinoa seemed to buy it at least. "Seifer was furious when he found out the three of you had been sent to Timber. I'm gathering it has something to do with past encounters, though you," she directed at Selphie, "might've been inducted into the vendetta as a third party."

Selphie opened her mouth to retort, but Quistis shot her a meaningful glare and the younger SeeD snapped it shut before the former instructor continued. "Either way, he was sure that you would all ruin this mission – apparently he had a hand in its organization."

"He was the one who introduced me to Cid Kramer," Rinoa explained. "We'd been ignored for the longest time, and Seifer said he knew of a way to get me in to speak with him."

_That answers one question,_ Quistis mused mentally before continued. She was becoming rather irritated with the constant interruptions. "So he decided he was coming to Timber. He must've learned the team assignments somehow…"

"Fujin and Raijin, probably," Squall said with a verbal shrug.

Quistis nodded in agreement. Fujin had been the one to pull the alarm and, according to the Garden Lieutenant, both she and Raijin had confessed everything when they'd been detained and questioned. "Word is still out on whether they are being punished for their part in the fiasco. I know I haven't heard anything about it at least."

At the confused looks she garnered, Quistis elaborated. "I was on my way back from a mission and, well, you know the rest. No one actually _thought _he'd try to escape the Garden. He's never attempted it before, at least not to my knowledge."

"I don't think he thought things through though," Selphie said from her perch on the bed. "I mean, he had Deling as a hostage and then all of a sudden, he just disappeared."

"I don't think he _jus_t disappeared," Quistis said. "I remember seeing that woman in black standing at the top of that stage. But then I blinked and she was gone. She must've cast a spell to stop me."

"To stop _us,_" Selphie corrected before tilting her head to the side. "I thought I saw someone like that too, but Seifer was standing next to her when we ran in."

Squall nodded in agreement. Zell had yet to join the conversation.

"It was probably the Sorceress," Selphie piped up suddenly. "Remember? Deling was gonna introduce her as his ambassador!"

Everyone (excluding Zell and Angelo) shushed the diminutive SeeD as her voice got louder. She flinched suddenly and slapped both hands over her mouth.

Squall signalled for them all them be quiet and after a moment, Quistis heard the footfalls that suggested someone was coming up the stairs.

Everyone jumped into action and moved into their selected hiding spaces. Quistis and Selphie hid underneath the bed while Rinoa and Angelo ran into an adjacent closet. The former instructor couldn't tell where Squall or Zell had gone, but didn't have enough time to look when the door swung open and boot clad feet entered the room. Their movement was purposeful and slow, no doubt the soldier the feet belonged to had heard the increase in volume.

Selphie gulped softly beside the blonde, but Quistis refused to let the enemy out of her sight. Gripping the handle of her chain whip, she poised herself just in case the soldier spotted them. After about a minute, the feet moved away from the bed, but started off towards the closet.

But he didn't make it that far. Another set of feet came running into the room. "I told you don't do anything to scare the children!"

"I heard voices," a deep voice sounded. It belonged, undoubtedly, to the soldier.

"Yes, because, like I said, I have _children_ in the house! They're probably acting out because they've been cooped up inside all day!"

"And why's that?"

Judging from the tone of voice, the woman was growing frustrated with the soldier. Quistis couldn't blame her. The man had almost discovered Rinoa's hiding place.

"Because of you and your lot hounding the town looking for criminals!" She snapped back. "You know kids. Words fall out of their mouths and misunderstandings are made. I didn't want my _eleven and eight year old boys_ to get arrested for saying the wrong thing! Now get outta my room, you won't find anything in here!"

The soldier seemed to hesitate for a second. Quistis and Selphie exchanged glances as they watched the scene, wondering if the soldier would buy into it. But they were surprised a second later when the soldier made his way (begrudgingly from the sounds of it) out the door. The woman tapped her foot impatiently, but Quistis and Selphie tensed. They'd worked out a means of communicating should they be forced into hiding – the woman (or her daughter if she was the one to intercept the soldiers) would tap her foot loudly against the floor as she guided the soldier out of the room. The longer the intervals between the sounds the further the soldier was getting away until the tapping would stop altogether.

Both SeeDs held their breath as the tapping became less and less constant and suddenly, the woman left the room, taking care to turn off the lights and close the door behind her. No one dared to move for the next few minutes until finally Quistis felt it was safe enough and crawled out from underneath the bed. Rinoa was tentatively climbing out of the closet, while Zell and Squall were slowly climbing down the ladder that led up into the attic.

Quistis frowned slightly at the sight. She wished she had thought of that.

The latter two made their landing onto the floor as lightly as possible and everyone froze just in case the soldiers heard the movement. When no one barged back in, everyone took up their places and Squall reopened the door to the room a crack before regaining his post.

"That…" Rinoa said after a moment, "was close."

Angelo whined a little – the dog seemed to agree with her owner.

"Sorry," Selphie replied meekly before lying back onto the bed. "It's been a looong day."

"I'll say," Quistis nodded in agreement. "But getting back on topic. Seifer went with the Sorceress. What do you suppose will happen to him?"

"He may already be dead," Squall stated matter-of-factly.

Quistis was about to agree with him but Rinoa piped up, pulling herself to her feet. "How can you be so casual about something like that? That's _horrible_!"

Quistis and Selphie shushed the girl and Rinoa turned an indignant pink. Still, she lowered her voice. "Are you completely heartless?"

Squall shrugged in response. "It's the truth."

"Even still, I feel sorry for him."

Quistis frowned. She knew Seifer well enough to know that any form of pity was intolerable. It reminded her of the field exam, where he'd told her off her for wishing him good luck. To him both were the same. He didn't need any help. In his mind, he never did.

"What's so funny?" Quistis heard Rinoa hiss and when she realized it wasn't directed at her, she noted how Squall's shoulders had been shaking before he'd been addressed. Had he actually been _laughing_ about Seifer's reaction? "You're terrible."

The raven-haired girl glared at the Squad leader for a moment before folding her arms across her chest. Quistis sensed some tension between the pair. Something had obviously happened before her arrival. Had this really been the pair she had witnessed dancing together at the Inauguration ball two weeks ago?

"So... _why_ exactly do you believe Seifer's already dead, anyway?" Rinoa asked heatedly.

"Because he attacked the President," Squall stated matter-of-factly.

Quistis had thought it was rather obvious. Deling was a dictator wanting absolute rule. Those who opposed him were either executed or sentenced to life terms in the political prison, Desert District.

Despite her musing over her opinion, Squall continued despite the former instructor. "And Deling was recruiting the Sorceress to be his ally. If the woman we saw really was the Sorceress he mentioned, then there's no doubt about what happened. Seifer was taken with her, obviously. It's a long shot that he would've survived, even if he can take care of himself. The most likely outcome of this is that he's dead."

"Even so!" Rinoa snapped. Quistis decided she was angrier at the logic than she was at Squall. "I still hope he's alive."

Squall sighed out loud and shook his head even as Selphie pushed herself into a sitting position. There was no doubt in the former instructor's mind that he wanted this conversation to be over. "Well, whatever you _wish_ or _want_ is none of my business anyway."

Rinoa stared at him critically for a minute, her features tightened into confusion before she stared at him as though she'd never met him before. "You're _mean_," she said. It was almost as though she was beginning to believe those words were true. She walked to the opposite side of the room, and turned her back on him, folding his arms across her chest. "Meanie!" She shouted over her shoulder.

Rinoa was shushed again by Selphie and Quistis, and the indignant pink colour deepened into a bright red. "Oh shush yourselves!"

Squall just stared at her in response, his eyebrow arched and blinking in disbelief. Quistis couldn't blame him at all. Rinoa was acting like some kind of spoiled child who had just been told the world didn't revolve around her.

The SeeD frowned suddenly and he turned to the doorway to find that it was slowly opening up. Everyone tensed as they anticipated capture, but they all released a sigh of relief when it turned out to be the woman – Quistis recalled that Rinoa had named her 'Chief'.

"My gosh, you're all so loud," she commented offhandedly. "But you're lucky. The soldiers have left the house. My daughter overheard them talking outside. The whole lot of Deling's goons are pullin' out and returning to the Capital. The only soldier's who'll stick around are the ones normally patrolling the area. And while they're distracted with that business, I suggest you leave town quick."

And with that, she left, heading back downstairs and leaving the door opened for them.

Having exchanged glances with one another, everyone had followed suit. When they were downstairs again, Selphie reached a window that looked out the side of the house, but the view was blocked off by the neighbouring house. The diminutive SeeD sighed loudly before turning her attention away and leaning against the wall next to the window. Zell was crouching near the bottom of the stairs, still silent, with Rinoa sitting next to him. Squall stood closer to the front door – probably a precaution in case the soldiers decided to come back – while Quistis herself took a seat at the kitchen table. The Chief and her daughter left the kitchen and entered the small living room they had, no doubt to give them some privacy.

As soon as they were alone, Quistis took in a deep breath and sighed before speaking. "So Squall, what's our next move going to be?"

He obviously hadn't expected to be the recipient of that question and Quistis smiled in spite of herself. She had thought she would surprise him. "I know we've got to leave town, but that's only the first step."

He stared at her, obviously confused. "What do you mean?"

Quistis sighed; he was obviously going to need a bit of a push. "Garden code; Article 8, Line 7."

He appeared to mull it over in his head for a moment, before the realization seemed to dawn on him. "Head for the nearest Garden."

Quistis grinned. "Very good. From here, that should be Galbadia Garden."

"Why would _Galbadia _have a _SeeD Garden_?" Rinoa asked. Quistis ignored her question.

"The best way to get there would be to take the train headed north to Dollet, but to get off at a station called 'East Academy'. From there, we'll have to trek on foot through a forest west of the station to get to the Garden. I've been there several times, so we shouldn't get lost along the way."

* * *

They left Chief's house a little while later after formulating their options once they exited the building, and saying goodbye to Chief and her family. They had just barely closed the door, however, when a Galbadian soldier on patrol started coming down the street. Against the small row of houses, there was no adequate hiding places, and after a moment, the soldier seemed to spot them and started heading over.

"Not good!" Zell shouted, speaking for the first time since entering the TV station. Quistis and Squall reached for their weapons in their respective holsters as Selphie reached up and gripped her nunchaku tightly. Angelo stepped in front of Rinoa in a protective stance while the strange device on the resistance fighter's left arm started to spin – Quistis assumed it was a weapon, and decided it was an overly expensive one.

However, instead of being forced to fight, the soldier raised his hands in a defensive gesture. The action surprised the SeeDs and seemed to confuse Rinoa. "It's me, sir! It's _me_!" The soldier said. "Don't attack! I'm in disguise!"

"Watts?" Rinoa shouted and Quistis realized it must have been one of the Resistance members. Despite Rinoa's attitude, she surmised that the resistance must be doing something right if they managed to get one of their own on the inside.

Sure enough, the soldier proved her right in her guess and nodded in response. The younger girl ran over and hugged Watts. Quistis started and looked around in case anyone saw the exchange; it wouldn't do well if the civilians caught sight of one of their own hugging a soldier, or said soldier being the recipient of such attention. Either way would result in destroying the resistance fighter's cover.

"How'd you get away from the Galbadians?" Rinoa asked, still in shock.

"I stole one of the soldier's uniforms," Watts explained cheerfully. "The soldier we had held prisoner in the base? I managed to duck out that way. Didn't see where everyone else was going, but I don't have much time."

He redirected his attention towards Squall, and Quistis could've sworn she'd seen Watts' back straighten. "I've got some important information, sir. Really important. The President's already left town."

"We assumed as much," Rinoa pointed out.

"But it gets worse," Watts continued. "All the trains are going outta service. And I mean real soon."

"Mega-Bummer," Selphie said, kicking at an imaginary person.

"Not necessarily," Watts said. "It's not completely shut down _yet._ There's one more train bound for East Academy and then Dollet. I think the officials did this so the townspeople and commuters didn't revolt or something."

"Well that was stupid," Rinoa said. "Sure, the civilians'll be happy, but it gives us a chance to escape."

"That's probably just a cover," Squall commented. "If anything, they'll expect us to try and board the train. They probably think they'll catch us if we try."

The SeeDs exchanged glances between one another. If Squall was right, then the guards at the front of the town had been given instructions not to let anyone out of Timber at all. If that was the case, then they had to get on that train despite the risks. It was their only chance.

"Rinoa," Watts said suddenly. "You're going with them, aren't you?"

Rinoa hesitated at the question and gripped her right arm with her left hand nervously. Quistis suspected that Rinoa hadn't thought about the rest of her team when she'd made arrangements with them. "Yeah," Rinoa finally answered, nodding slightly. "But what about you, Watts? You could always come with us."

Quistis caught the other three SeeDs exchanging glances and couldn't blame them for their hesitation. Why Rinoa was inviting people on their behalf, she couldn't fathom either.

"No need to worry about me," Watts said in response. "I'll just go gather more information. It's..."

"What you do best," Squall, Zell and Selphie all chorused. Quistis could tell they'd heard him say this quite a bit.

Watts nodded in response. "Ah, yeah..." He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"I promise I'll be back," Rinoa suddenly said, grabbing Watts and giving him another hug. "You take care, alright?"

"Of course," Watts said nodding before turning to Squall again. "Sir, please take care of Rinoa."

"Yeah, I know. Client's orders," was the teenager's response.

"But what about you?" Selphie asked suddenly. "Will you be safe here?"

Watts grinned broadly as he spoke up, "I'll be fine! I'll put up the fight of my life! We'll see each other again real soon. I can tell that for sure!"

And he turned around and ran off, probably pretending that he was still on patrol. Rinoa stared after him for a moment, lowering her head slightly before turning back to regard the others. "The train station is back the way we came, past the pub. We'd better hurry if we wanna get on that train."

They hurried along the path, eventually coming to the fork they had arrived at earlier that led to the pub. However, before they could make their way any further, they spotted a strange looking man wearing a light purple shirt and black overalls. Over his head was a barrette that obscured the top portion of his face. Quistis guessed that he was yet another member of another resistance faction, but he seemed to perk up when he spotted them. "Rinoa! Squall! It's me!"

The man walked over towards them, hunched over as though her were a senior citizen, but there was something off in the stance that made Quistis think this person was just impersonating one. Rinoa seemed to recognize him, however, because after a second, she ran over and hugged him. "Zone!"

Quistis arched an eyebrow and when she looked over at Squall, he just shook his head. "Don't ask."

The former instructor decided to heed his advice and not say a word.

"You guys need to go to East Academy, right?" Zone asked when Rinoa let him go. Everyone nodded in response to the resistance fighter's question. "I see," he remarked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rinoa asked.

"Well, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but the tickets have all been sold already. Bunch of Dollet civilians mostly, but some Galbadian natives who think they can find a way back home that way, since the one directly to Deling City has already been shut down."

"Super-Duper-Mega-Bummer," Selphie said, kicking at that elusive invisible person once again.

"Says who?" Zone asked. When everyone regarded him with strange looks, he grinned broadly. "I've got everyone's ticket right here."

And as though to prove his statement to be true, he withdrew his hand from the sleeve of his sweater and produced the train tickets.

Quistis frowned slightly. She found it very unlikely that Zone had taken her presence into account, as they had never actually met. It was obvious that she would be the odd person out, and as she watched him distribute the tickets, she opted to say nothing. Making up her mind, she knew that Garden would want to know what happened with Seifer, and she would have to notify the Headmaster and Lieutenant of the wayward cadet's sudden disappearance. And, if her hunch was correct and that broadcast had been viewed by everyone in the world, they would want a full account of what had taken place in Timber.

After all that was done, she could play decoy should the soldiers catch wind of their, admittedly feeble, plan. Aside from Seifer, Quistis had been the most predominant figure in that broadcast, so if anything they would be out for her arrest and (with any luck) would completely ignore the other three.

"And the last one's for me..." Zone said. He frowned suddenly as he took in the train ticket, obviously thinking of something. After a minute of mental musing, Quistis started in shock as the resistance fighter turned and started walking in her direction.

_He's not going to do what I think he is, is he?_ Quistis thought to herself and her question was answered when Zone held out the ticket to her.

"You take it."

"I can't," Quistis shook her head stubbornly. She felt everyone's eyes on her. "It's yours. You paid for it."

Zone then groaned painfully, which caused Quistis to step back slightly. After a moment of cradling his stomach, he reached over, grabbed the SeeD's hand, stuffed the ticket into her palm and ran over to the corner where he proceeded to throw up. Or at least he pretended to. Quistis arched an eyebrow and wondered why he was going through so much trouble just to stay where he could get arrested.

"Just get going already!" Zone said as he lifted his head marginally. "The train's gonna leave any minute now!" He puffed out his cheeks in a fashion that should've suggested he was about to throw up again, but Quistis could tell he was faking it.

Despite knowing this, however, Quistis found herself speechless as she watched this charade. Knowing that she was holding everyone else up, she said the only thing that came to mind. "Thank you."

Rinoa ran over towards Zone, and crouched down next to him, even as he wiped his mouth on his sleeve – probably to add to the act. "We're gonna see each other again, okay? No matter what happens, you _have _to survive. We promised to liberate Timber together, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember," Zone said, clutching at his stomach in what was supposed to be a pained manner. "I'll... just go hide in a bathroom or something."

Quistis still felt guilty about taking Zone's ticket and had just made up her mind to return it when Rinoa suddenly grabbed her by the arm. "Let's go! The train's not gonna wait forever!"

Quistis was then unceremoniously dragged through the gateway. By the time she freed herself from Rinoa's grip, they had already made their way onto the platform and it was too late to turn back now. Squall had lagged behind somewhat. She didn't know why, but she gathered he would tell her if he wanted her to know or if it was important. That was just the way Squall was.

The former instructor had been positive that they would have been stopped at the trains, but after showing the train conductor their tickets, they were allowed to board without incident. She thought it was strange as they didn't exactly have enough time to disguise themselves and thus should've been discovered almost right away. All the more, they had no proper luggage that would even suggest that they would have planned a trip in the first place. Even more puzzling was that the whole world knew of her appearance. Maybe she had made it clear that she was trying to stop Seifer?

_No,_ Quistis thought to herself. Deling knew she was from the Garden (despite not being angry with him, Zell had made sure of that). Since Garden and SeeD had been a thorn in Deling's side for the last ten years (at least), he would've had a reason to call a war against the mercenary faction.

And yet, here they were, being allowed to escape. Quistis didn't like how easy it was.

Still, she couldn't argue against their sudden batch of luck, even if it was a ploy they could figure out a means of combating that when they were out of town and discussing their next move.

She considered discussing this with the others, and opted to keep it to herself, at least until after they'd left Timber. Ever the pessimist, she found it difficult to believe that Squall at the very least wouldn't have thought of the possibility that they were being tricked. It would make her explanation all the easier.

Just two minutes after they'd finished boarding, the train doors shut, locking the passengers inside and they began to head out of the city…

* * *

Carl Banks watched as the train gathered speed and brought the contents within it through the tunnel leading out of town. He wished he could've been on that train, but as an employee of the train terminal, and given his shift title, it had been too much to hope for. His job had been to inspect the tickets.

And inspect them he had. He'd checked over every single slip that had been presented to him, looking over IDs and doing his level best to keep order despite the circumstances. Those terrorists had done a lot of damage and it was causing everyone to buy the next ticket out of town, regardless of where they were headed.

There had been Galbadian soldiers guarding the premises as well – probably added security to make sure the terrorists didn't board the train – but he had personally seen to one of the people who had been on the outdoor television screen. The blonde girl in the peach outfit had made him think she was with the terrorists, but surprisingly enough he had been instructed in private by the Galbadians to let her through. It puzzled him. Wasn't she one of the reasons why the trains were shutting down in the first place? If so, then why let her escape?

Carl knew it wouldn't do him any good to ask any questions. Supposedly this order had come from President Deling himself, which confused him all the more. But the soldiers had weapon with them while he could barely lift a standard .9mm pistol without breaking a sweat. Whatever the President's reasons for allowing the terrorists to escape, it wasn't any of his business and it sure wasn't worth getting shot at to find out.

All he could do was follow orders and thank his lucky stars that he was still alive.

* * *

"I could've _had_ them…" he said as he paced around the lavish train car.

They had left town as soon as he had managed to escape from the mad-man with the gunblade. Fuck if he hadn't gotten out of that one with the skin on his back.

Still, Vinzer Deling was royally pissed with the situation as a whole. The SeeDs were getting away from his grasp and instead of calling out a war like he desperately wanted to, he was taking the 'higher road' and pretending the sordid mess had never taken place.

Which was hilarious, considering it had all happened during a live broadcast. He would have been justified in his action.

"SeeD and Garden could be finished, you know!" Deling continued to rant as he paced a hole in the carpet. "My army could wipe them off the face of the planet!"

"Patience," the woman in black said calmly. "Calling a war right after making a peace proposal would simply backfire against you and the Galbadian nation. It is best to wait. You will have your chance again."

"And if it never comes?"

"Then there will be nothing to stand in the way."

Deling slouched back against a nearby armchair. The cushions sank beneath his girth and he frowned thoughtfully. "So we wait until they try something."

"Of course," the woman replied. "And I know they will, especially given the announcement of a 'Sorceress Ambassador'."

"Should anything happen to you…" Deling started, but was cut off by the woman.

"Nothing shall," her tone had yet to change from soothing and calming. Even now, Deling was feeling the worries that he had been working himself up about sliding away from him. She had that affect. "Trust me, Vinzer. Those fools are no match for me. Should they attempt to dispose of me, well… it will only lead to their downfall. Now relax, Mr. President. Worry does not suit you."

Deling relaxed, knowing that she was right. Galbadia had the might of a Sorceress in their arsenal. If the right steps were taken, Garden would be finished by the end of the week.

He couldn't wait.


	23. Chapter XXII: Centra's Excavation Site

**Edited: **_02/04/09_

**Edited: **_05/31/10_

* * *

**Chapter XXII:  
Centra's Excavation Site**

* * *

Saying the train ride had been uneventful was accurate and yet not accurate at the same time. Due to the situation that had caused them to leave Timber, the air hanging around them was heavy and thick, so much so that no one even considered breaking it.

Unlike the train they had boarded from Balamb, there was no private cabin for SeeD members, so this forced them to find seating arrangements with the other passengers in their train car. Due to the sudden closure of the train stations in the commuter town, the car they rode in was filled to the brim with passengers sitting in allotted seats throughout what would have been an empty space. It was so packed that there were people who were standing along the rows, keeping as close to the side as possible in order to prove undisruptive of the flow of traffic.

They had all barely managed to find seats that were close enough to each other and this had been a saving grace, since no one wanted to be separated from one another. Selphie had practically bowled them over in her dive for one of the window seats and sat facing Zell, who had claimed the only free window seat left. This left Quistis and Rinoa both with aisle seats, while Squall was forced to stand along with the other unfortunate passengers who'd failed to secure a seat. Angelo lay beneath Rinoa's chair, curled up into a ball as she slept off the excitement.

While Selphie had been humming a tune she'd probably made up herself as she looked out the window, Zell was still especially quiet. From the time she'd spent with the three SeeDs, she'd like to think she knew them at least as little bit. Selphie was exuberant and loud, Squall was quiet to the point of almost being mute and Zell couldn't sit still to save his life. And yet, the brawler was seated against the window, seemingly staring out into space, barely making a sound and not moving a muscle. Normally he would have said something by this point, but it looked as though the incident in Timber was still bothering him. She didn't know what it was, but in an attempt to cheer him up, Rinoa had tried to bring him into a quiet conversation she was having with Quistis, but he ignored the attempts. In the end, he was left alone.

They had stayed on the train for nearly an hour before they'd finally arrived at East Academy station, which turned out to be a long winding set of stairs and a platform. After disembarking and making sure they had everything, they had followed Quistis along the road that led into a forest that was surrounded by cliffs and mountains. Despite the ample amount of space they had, the sight made Rinoa feel slightly claustrophobic.

It hadn't been very long since she'd said goodbye, but already she missed Zone and Watts. They'd been the biggest support of her life, especially during the past year, and she couldn't possibly imagine any kind of future without them. She had wanted so badly to bring them with her – she'd even invited them along – but they seemed to have everything under control. Even still, she knew from past experiences that moving in a group made it easier for capture. While she technically was surrounded by people, they were SeeDs, professionals who put the client's safety above their own. No matter how pathetic she thought the sentiment was, she knew she was in safe hands.

They wandered through the forest with their weapons raised in case any of the monsters in the area decided it was lunchtime. Just thinking about food made her stomach rumble, and she scowled at herself know that she hadn't packed anything at all to snack on. Wrapping her arms around herself, she stayed close to the group, wondering how much further it would be until they reached the Garden. Angelo trotted along by her side, keeping her some company during the tense silence that had fallen on them.

She had to admit that Quistis really did seem to know what they were doing and where they were going. She was leading the group around the foliage, taking turns and pathways seemingly without a second thought. She must have visited the Garden a lot in the past for her to have memorized the trail. Either that or she had an impressive memory. Regardless of the reason, Rinoa was thankful she was around, because the last thing she wanted was for them to get lost in the middle of the forest with no food.

The natural sounds of the forest – so much like Timber before its occupation – went undisturbed for the most part, but finally Quistis broke the tranquility as she glanced over her shoulder at the rest of them. "We've been walking for a while now, so it'd be wise to take a break."

"How much farther to the Garden?" Squall asked.

"It shouldn't be too far now," Quistis responded with a shrug. "But a few minutes will probably do us all some good."

Rinoa's feet agreed with her wholeheartedly and she walked over towards a large rock that looked as though it could support her weight and sat down. Angelo mirrored her movements, curling up to lie down next to her mistress. Just seconds after she allowed her feet to rest inches above the ground, Rinoa began to feel. She wasn't out of shape, but she also wasn't used to having to walk around as much as she had today, and it was making her feet swell as a result. She wouldn't have been surprised to find the beginnings of blisters forming along the toes or heals and decided then and there that it'd probably be a good idea to get better walking shoes sometime in the near future.

Quistis had opted to lean against a tree across from the raven haired teenager. Even then the blonde seemed to hold a sort of authoritative stance, with her arms folded across her chest while she seemingly took in the scenery. Selphie was crouching down in the grass just a little ways behind her and Zell had started to pace up and down the dirt road, as if the thought of standing still was forbidden to him. Squall had found another boulder furthest away and was resting against it, almost like he was ready for something bad to happen.

_Such a pessimist,_ Rinoa thought in dismay as she shook her head. She found pessimistic types to be more or less depressing. They never focused on the bright side, almost like they _wanted_ to be as miserable as humanly possible and it annoyed her to no end. Sure, bad things happened in life, but there was just as much good in the world as there was the bad. She supposed SeeDs were trained to concentrate on the negative, and it made a twinge of pity fill her. To live a life where people only focus on the bad and never the good must be horrible.

"Hey, I was just thinking," Selphie said, disturbing the silence that had fallen upon them. "We were on TV, right? I know I cut the cables, but how do we know it was _all _static the whole time we were in the studio?"

No one spoke. Rinoa assumed the others were waiting for her to get to the point. She knew she was. "Well," Selphie continued when no one added anything. "What if there's bad news from Galbadia Garden? Don't they have a contract with the Galbadian Military?"

"They train people to join the Galbadian Army, yes," Quistis explained matter-of-factly. "But Garden is neutral territory. I doubt they'd align themselves with the military just because of a contract that has nothing to do with our situation."

"But, but," Selphie continued. The shorter girl started hopping from one foot to the other anxiously. "But what if the Army's _waiting_ for us there? What if they arrest us and then we get broadcast in front of the _whole_ wide world? Would Garden stand behind us or disavow us or what?"

"Whatever happens, happens, okay?" Zell snapped, having stopped his pacing.

Everyone jumped at the sudden disruption, not having expected it. Rinoa was glad that Zell was finally talking again, but there was a kind of panic in his features that gave him an almost manic look. It was more than just a little intimidating and Selphie backed away from him as a result. "They're gonna do what they're gonna do anyway, so why bother waste time on playing guessing games when we could be heading to the Garden and finding out what's going on from _there_?"

Everyone was staring at him once the tirade was over and the brawler seemed to realize that he'd over-reacted. Rinoa couldn't help but feel a little confused about what had just happened. Maybe it had something to do with the television station, but he seemed to be taking what had happened back there personally. She hadn't been watching the broadcast, and the only thing she knew about it was that Deling's stupid announcement had been all about announcing some stupid ambassador who was a living, breathing Sorceress. And that was only from what she'd heard the SeeDs talking about back at the Chief's house.

"I'm sorry," Zell said at great length, hanging his head as he spoke. "I mean, _I'm_ the one who told Deling where we're from."

Rinoa stared at him in complete realization. She wasn't angry at him, not in the least. People made mistakes all the time and they felt horrible when they did. But at the same time, Rinoa couldn't help but wonder if SeeD really would've let something that important slip.

That got her thinking that, perhaps, these guys weren't nearly as experienced as they had led her to believe.

"And it'd be all _my_ fault if something happened to Garden because of it," Zell continued, oblivious to her thoughts. He cursed suddenly, kicking at some dirt on the forest floor before turning desperately to Squall. "But Garden and Galbadia have been at each other's throats for a long time, right? We _always_ get hired to mess around with their operations, don't we?"

Squall didn't answer his question and Rinoa scowled at him in disgust. How could he be so insensitive? Zell was worried sick and all he could do was sit there and stare at him like _he_ was the one being irrational. What was he, some kind of robot?

"So it shouldn't be a big deal if they know," Zell said, as though he were trying to assure himself that it was true. "You don't think the President'll go through with his threat, do you? He didn't get hurt or anything, and he probably got away because of the Sorceress right? Do you think he'll call an attack on the Garden anyway?"

Squall shrugged in response. Apparently he realized he couldn't hold his peace much longer. "Maybe."

Rinoa made a disgusted noise in the back of her throat, but she went completely ignored.

"Figures..." Zell said, his face falling at the answer as his body movement mimicked his facial expression. He stood upright again, his arms spread as he resumed his imploring gaze at the Squad leader. "But there're _tons_ of SeeDs at the Garden, so they'd be able to stand up against whatever Deling threw at them, right? They'd be okay if something like that happened, right?"

"It depends on how large an army Deling sends," Squall answered with another shrug. "And of how prepared the Garden is to receive an attack like that."

"Yeah, I know..." Zell said, dropping into a crouch himself. He balled a fist, but stopped himself before he could punch the ground. "But still..."

Rinoa couldn't hold her tongue any longer. She jumped up from the rock she'd been sitting on and, despite her feet's protests, stormed over to the both of them. Angelo looked up at her mistress' movement and sat up in response. "You're some kind of leader, do you know that?" She snapped, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at Squall, hoping to burn some sense into him. For his part, he just stared at her with a 'that's none of your business' kind of look. It made her even angrier. "Let me ask you something. Do you actually _enjoy_ acting so callously to your comrades?"

She indicated Zell at first and then Selphie. Both teenagers were exchanging nervous glances between one another. Quistis apparently decided to stay out of it, as she stayed leaning against the tree, her arms folded as she simply watched them all.

"Zell needs your support," Rinoa continued, gesturing at Zell again. The brawler simply backed away as though hoping that he'd be ignored if he gave the pair their distance. "All he wants to know is if the mistake he made is big enough to harm _your _Garden. Just giving him the facts won't help alleviate that worry, _especially_ if all they're focused on is the negative. Any kind of encouragement or reassurance will make the biggest difference to anyone's morale, and that's what the leader's job is. To instil morale in his people."

Squall didn't say anything. Instead, he just continued to stare at her, never moving from his leaning position. No, Rinoa realized belatedly, he was staring right _through_ her, like she wasn't even _there_. She balled her hands into fists and resisted the urge to slap some sense into him. "Don't you _care_ about your comrades? Not even a _little_ bit? Don't you _understand_?"

He still didn't answer her. She was becoming extremely offended with his attitude. Now he wasn't even _listening_ to what she had to say? At least when he went off on her and the Forest Owls, she'd listened, as painful as the words had been. "Are you even _listening?_"

She was so close to breaking her restraint and hitting him she was visibly shaking. Angelo whined from where she was sitting, lowering her head at the increased tension. None of the SeeDs looked like they were going to do anything, which suited her just fine.

Finally, Squall removed himself from his leaning post, and she forced herself to stay her ground. He towered over her 5'3" easily, and there was no doubt in her mind that he was clearly the stronger of the two. But what happened next startled her out of her angry thoughts. His eyes – clearly unfocused – rolled up into the back of his skull and he collapsed. Rinoa barely had the mindset to try and catch him, but his weight was too much for her and she felt her legs give out on her, forcing the both of them onto the ground.

Wondering why no one had reacted or was even attempting to help her, Rinoa looked over and saw that Zell had run over to where Quistis had been standing a moment ago, but she caught the sight of peach amongst the grass beneath the tree she'd been leaning against and realized the blonde girl had collapsed too. "What's going on?" Rinoa shouted over at Zell.

Before he could answer her though, Rinoa heard something from behind and when she turned around, she saw Selphie collapse into the grass further away.

Her breathing was coming in too quickly for her and her thoughts were running a mile a minute. Pushing him from his side and onto his back, Rinoa searched Squall over to see if there had been some kind of tranquilizer. She hadn't thought the Galbadians had followed them – they'd done such a great job of making sure they didn't have or leave a tail – and she found no evidence that they'd been subdued by those means. It was like they'd just fainted out of the blue.

"What's happened to them?" Rinoa asked after a minute went by. She was scared, downright terrified at what had just happened. People just didn't fall over for no reason. She didn't even know if she or Zell were safe – they could easily be the next targets.

Finally, Zell answered her, looking a little solemn but still confused. "I think they went to the dream world."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Rinoa asked incredulously. "You mean they're _asleep_?"

"I think so," Zell said shrugging. "It happened once before, on the way to Timber, but we thought it'd been sleeping gas or something like that."

"And how to do you explain this away?" Rinoa said, gesturing first to Quistis, then to Selphie and finally Squall.

Zell shrugged again. "I can't. _I'm_ not the one who's asleep."

Rinoa frowned, folding her arms across her chest. "So what exactly are we supposed to do now?"

"Unless you wanna carry them to Galbadia Garden," Zell said, sitting down beside Angelo, "there's not much we _can_ do until they wake up."

Rinoa suddenly looked up at Zell. "Actually, _you_ can tell me about this dream world."

* * *

He woke up, feeling the same groggy feeling he'd had the last time the buzzing noise had rung through his ears. The only difference was that this time it had attacked him with no warning whatsoever. None of the others had felt the same sensation – the same overpowering nauseous exhaustion that had taken place during their trip to Timber. At least, not to his knowledge.

The last thing he recalled was having an argument with Rinoa – one that seemed to result in her screaming in his face that he needed to care about his comrades, or something to that effect. Halfway through her tirade, the buzzing had started and it had been all he could do to keep from throwing up as the nausea had followed shortly after wards.

He hadn't been able to voice it then, but he knew Rinoa wouldn't have understood even if he'd been able to respond to her. It wasn't that he didn't care about them, but simply the notion that one had to rely on themselves and face the truth of their predicament. He couldn't baby them just because everything so far had gone wrong.

And right now, in his opinion, their predicament wasn't so good. He'd been speaking the honest truth when he'd answered Zell's desperate questions. While Garden had the skill to stand up to the Galbadian military, it really did depend on their numbers and their preparation.

But he wasn't thinking about that right now. Instead, he was thinking about the fact that he was moving – without his permission – up a rocky path, the dirt crunching beneath his boot-clad feet. He heard similar sounds around him and through just hearing the movement he was able to ascertain the presence of at least two other individuals. He didn't know where they were headed, but he knew better than to think himself a prisoner, more like an observer to events and occurrences he had no control over.

Squall had a problem with not being in control.

Finally, they stopped. He allowed his company to move ahead of him to overlook a cliff. He would've liked to survey his surroundings himself, but if he couldn't control his body, then there was little point to attempt to get a better look. He recognized the two men instantly as Kiros and Ward from the previous experience in the dream world, which meant that the body he currently inhabited belonged to the idiot Laguna.

What an addition to an already crappy day.

"Kiros," Ward said suddenly, gaining the shorter man's attention. Like the last time, the trio was wearing Galbadian military uniforms – blue jumpsuits with metallic armour along the chest and arms, with a metallic helmet with three small circular shapes that served as a visor. "Are you _sure_ this is the place?"

Kiros seemed to survey the scenery beneath the cliff's edge before nodding. "Positive."

"You hear that, Laguna?" Ward said. "We're finally here."

Laguna, meanwhile, was inspecting the map he held up to his face. He inclined his head to the left before allowing it to tilt towards the right and frowned. The movement prevented Squall from reading it properly. He couldn't exactly say it was entirely Laguna's fault, however as he wasn't used to looking at anything behind the lenses of the helmet the soldier wore, not even after his previous experience.

Laguna moved so that he had passed Kiros and Ward, but was pulled back before he could go any further. Laguna made a loud squawk as he clung to the map, almost afraid that he might drop it before turning to find Ward with his hand over his shoulder, shaking his head.

"Careful!" Kiros exclaimed, looking like he'd had a near heart attack. "One of these days, you're gonna walk _right_ off a cliff, and we won't be there to stop you from killing yourself!"

"Right, sorry," Laguna replied sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. Squall had a slight feeling of panic, hoping against hope that whenever Laguna _did_ decide to 'walk off a cliff' that he wasn't stuck like this. If Laguna wanted to commit idiotic suicide, he sure as hell wasn't about to take the young SeeD with him. "Just trying to read this map."

The Galbadian soldier took a look over the cliff, taking in the sight himself. Beneath them was some kind of strange looking factory that had what looked like white crystallized walls that seemed to surround a catwalk leading inside of an equally strange looking building.

From the unreliable look he'd taken of the map, Squall noted that it looked absolutely nothing like the landscape beneath them. Laguna seemed to feel the same and he turned around, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry guys, this isn't it. I think we got turned around. My bad."

Kiros shook his head in response, surprising his commanding officer. "Actually, we _are_ here. I just double checked the coordinates and given that the readouts are the same, this is the right place."

Laguna stared at Kiros, obviously confused, before he consulted his map once again. Unlike Laguna, Kiros apparently had a very good sense of direction and judging by how intently he was staring at the map, Squall could only assume he'd come to another conclusion altogether. "Sorry guys. I brought the wrong map."

"That explains it," Ward said as both he and Kiros shook their heads and sighed.

"Hey, we're actually here though right?" Laguna protested. "My sense of direction seems to be getting better."

"It was a fluke and you know it," Kiros stated, but he was grinning.

"Ah Shuddap!" Laguna said, his face flushing slightly.

"It's a good thing we _are _here," Ward stated. "I wouldn't wanna get caught patrolling the wrong place… _again._" The bigger man seemed to stare pointedly towards Laguna.

"Hey! Someone got our orders mixed up," Laguna protested.

"Um," Kiros said. "Wasn't it _you_ who gave us our orders in the first place?"

"…Someone _higher up_ got the orders mixed up."

Kiros and Ward simply shook their heads and sighed once again. "Let's just get going already," Kiros stated. "I'd like to get this over and done with."

"I'm not sure we should," Laguna said, hesitating as the others made to move out.

Both of them turned around and stared at Laguna like he was some kind of idiot. Judging from what he'd already witnessed up until this point, Squall was convinced that he _was_ one. "Somehow, I have a bad feeling about this."

"A… bad feeling?" Ward said sceptically. "As in _how_?"

"I dunno. My gut's telling me that something's not right with this place," Laguna explained. "Like there's something weird about it. I can't put my finger on it, but just _looking_ around is giving me the creeps."

"Are you sure you're just not over reacting?" Kiros asked, folding his arms across his chest and mirroring the sceptical look that Ward wore. "I remember the last time you had a gut feeling. I listened to it and I ended up nearly swallowed up by quicksand."

"Yeah, maybe you're right," Laguna said, seemingly shrugging off his apprehension. "Nah, everything's cool. Everyone ready?"

"Been ready for about five minutes," Ward said, but he went ignored.

"Let's get going then."

They set off down the cliff, but all the while Squall couldn't help but wonder if Laguna really was right. There was most definitely something about this place didn't seem right to him. Maybe they were walking into some kind of trap, or possibly into something that they really shouldn't be meddling with. All the same, despite the Galbadian having the same feeling, the fact that he was ignoring it without making any attempt to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary made Squall's opinion of him drop even further.

The closer they got to the factory, the more Squall realized that something was definitely amiss. The place looked as though someone had built the catwalks around a natural reserve. The teenager wasn't even sure _where_ they even were anymore. It looked almost as though they were in Centra, but it didn't look like anything he'd ever seen or heard of before.

From what he knew of Centra, it had originally been the largest continent in the world, with enough resources to rival that of the technologically advanced country of Esthar. Many people had lived there, and its empire wasn't something to be taken lightly, but eighty years ago, the Lunar Cry – an event that takes place every hundred years or so – wiped the entire continent out, decimating the civilization until there was absolutely nothing left over of it. The continent had been broken up into several tiny islands, and it was said that there were encampments filled with descendants of the survivors. No proof had come forth of it, but it wasn't an idea that had altogether been dismissed as of yet.

It might have been Centra, or it might have been somewhere else entirely. Either way, they were there and Squall wanted to figure out what the three Galbadians were doing there in the first place. Maybe figuring that out might allow this experience – whatever the hell it was – to end. Ward had said something about patrolling, so he guessed they were simply scouting their surroundings, probably in preparation of a military striking operation.

The trio descended the cliff and walked the rocky trail below, the Cliffside walls changing from the chalky brown to a sparkling bluish tint, flaked with crystallized particles. They sparkled whenever the light hit the surface on specific angles, giving the illusion that the colour was changing, but still maintaining a faint bluish hue. Still, despite how pretty it looked, Squall still had a bad feeling each time his gaze caught sight of it.

Laguna suddenly stopped at the entrance, Kiros and Ward stopping a moment later. The former frowned slightly before he spoke. "This place sure is strange," he commented.

"Gee, ya think?" Ward snorted, gesturing at their surroundings. "Where _else_ could you find rock sides that look like this?"

"Centra _is_ a strange place alright," Kiros added, confirming Squall's earlier thoughts. "Who knows what happened after the Lunar Cry."

"What the heck is that huge pile of rocks?" Laguna asked, pointing up ahead. Sure enough, the catwalks seemed to lead towards a large rock head in the distance. "Do you think they're natural rocks used for carving tombstones? They'd be really fancy ones. Probably cost a fortune too."

"Who knows?" Kiros asked. "Or cares for that matter? We've got our orders to patrol the place and keep an eye out for the enemy. It's not our job to think about stuff like this."

_My point exactly,_ Squall concurred mentally. It was the same philosophy they'd instilled himself with while training for SeeD – never question the assignment, no matter how strange or stupid it may seem. Questions could be asked about the assignment, but questioning the significance of it was a decision that was out of his pay-grade.

Unintentionally his thoughts roamed back to the Forest Owls, where all his group had done behind their back was question their operation, though at least Selphie and Zell had managed to keep their opinions to themselves. He on the other hand had brought them up in his exchange with Rinoa near the television station and he very nearly groaned at the knowledge that he had lost his temper and his control. Nevertheless, he still stood by his explanation when the girl had run off in tears, that if she hadn't wanted to hear what he'd had to say then she shouldn't have pushed him to express it.

"But while we're on the subject…" Ward said, the larger man's deep voice bringing the youth out of his thoughts. "Laguna, you've been acting pretty strange yourself."

"Have I?" Laguna said.

"Ever since we got here, you've been running around kinda funny. Not like you at all. You've been more stealthily, wandering kinda quiet."

"He's got a point Laguna," Kiros said. "Usually you sound like an oversized Ochu on a rampage, even on a mission."

Squall thought about it for a moment before realizing that he was right. From what little he had experienced, Laguna did seem to attract plenty of attention, wanted or not. Now, he seemed to be moving more like a trained soldier should, quick and quiet, almost stealthy. He guessed it had something to do with Laguna's gut feeling.

Maybe he wasn't as big an idiot as Squall had originally thought.

"Just bein' cautious," Laguna explained away. The way he spoke and how he held himself while doing so confirmed the other two soldier's suspicions and it seemed as though Laguna didn't want them to know that. Both Kiros and Ward exchanged glances between themselves, seemingly unconvinced. "That's the basic rule of thu…"

Laguna trailed off, and after a moment, Squall realized why. Laguna had heard something had had caused him to pause in mid-sentence, and Squall knew he wasn't crazy because he'd heard the sound as well. The commanding officer examined their surroundings and Squall could only assume the others were doing the same. Then suddenly, his vision shot skyward and a stab of pain lanced across the bottom of his chin before the same sensation ran up his back as he landed on the ground behind him. He slid a little, but was easily stopped by his team-mates, who helped him up to his feet. Nursing his jaw, Laguna cursed lightly, something the idiot rarely ever did, at least to Squall's recollection. "That… was a cheap shot."

"I think we've got company," Kiros pointed out, but Squall couldn't see the enemy anywhere. "You okay?"

"You kidding?" Laguna asked as he flexed his jaw slightly. "My 90 year old _grandmother_ could hit harder than that."

"Uh, Laguna?" Ward said, but Laguna waved him off.

"Don't be such a weenie, Ward." He went to say more, but caught Kiros' expression and stopped himself. The darker male's mouth was hanging open slightly, almost as though something had shocked him. "Hey, what the…" Laguna turned behind him to see what the commotion was, before starting slightly.

There, where there hadn't been anyone previously, were a trio of strange looking soldiers. In contrast to the blue and red of the Galbadian uniforms, the enemy wore silver and purple coloured ones that seemed to shimmer like the rocks surrounding them. Their helmets were shaped sort of like a bugs head and antennae stuck out on either side – most likely some kind of radio. They held strange looking weapons that could only be described as a cross between an axe and a shotgun. Squall would've thought it to be impossible had he himself not recalled the strangeness of a gunblade. Still, he'd never seen such a combination before.

But he had _heard_ of it.

During the Sorceress War, Esthar and Galbadia were at war with one another constantly. Esthar used to raid Galbadia for reasons unknown and Galbadia finally had enough and decided to retaliate. He recalled the description of the old uniforms the Esthar soldiers generally wore, as well as their weapons. Seeing the enemy confirmed that they were, indeed, Esthar soldiers, but Squall couldn't find that possible. After the Sorceress War, Esthar had completely disappeared, almost as though they'd been removed from the planet altogether.

Still, said soldiers aimed their weapons at the Galbadians, who started stepping back slowly. "Orders sir?"

"Yeah, let's get the hell outta dodge!" Laguna shouted, however, as they turned around, two more soldiers seemed to almost materialize behind them.

Each held the same kind of weapon, however there was something odd about the new soldiers. They seemed different from the other three. For starters, their uniforms were more of an assortment of greens rather than purple. Squall guessed that they were from a different platoon, or maybe they were special ops forces.

"Oh, don't tell me," Laguna started.

"Of all the possible predicaments," Kiros finished.

"Fucking surrounded," Ward added. "I _hate_ being surrounded!"

"So…" Laguna said after another moment of silence. The Esthar soldiers seemed to be moving closer. "Are we gonna stand for this?"

"Hell no," Kiros snorted.

"Live free, die hard," Ward concurred.

"Okay then," Laguna said, nodding almost thoughtfully before he pulled out his submachine gun – which had been strapped onto his back – and swept it around, pressing the trigger button down. Gunfire spread all around as he moved, the three soldiers leaping to the side and dodging the attack. It was the two strange soldiers who stayed their ground, opening fire on them with their shot guns, forcing the trio to dodge.

"This is fucking bullshit!" Ward shouted. He was using the anchor he had been carrying as a sort of make shift shield and the bullets were bouncing off the metal, making sparks fly in different directions and forcing Ward to move his head out of the way of them as he shifted the anchor in different positions.

On the opposite side, the other soldiers began to open fire themselves, one of the bullets grazing Kiros' left arm. The other fighter cursed lightly and both Laguna and Ward stayed on both sides while Kiros pulled out a potion from the items pack he'd been carrying on his back. Kiros dabbed some of the medicine on a cloth and applied it to the wound.

"We can't stay like this for much longer!" Ward shouted over the noise.

"I can finish it if I can get close enough," Kiros pointed out and removed the cloth. The wound was already healing. The properties of the potion were working. "But I need some cover fire."

"Which way do you wanna go?" Laguna said, returning fire when a bullet nearly hit him. "The two or the three?"

"The two!" Kiros shouted. Laguna was apparently surprised because he didn't say anything. "They creep me the fuck out."

"I'll keep the three off ya!" Ward shouted.

"I'll cover you." Laguna stated. "Go."

Kiros nodded and leapt out into the open, charging towards the two strange soldiers. It suddenly dawned on Squall that he'd never actually seen Ward or Kiros fight and as a result he had no idea what to expect. During the previous visit to this 'dream world', the two soldiers had been off elsewhere while Laguna had been ambushed by a Grat. Just as he wondered about this though, Squall caught sight of two blades withdrawing from beneath the sleeves of Kiros' uniform. They were long and wide but thin, easily reaching along his thighs, but rather than throw them as Squall had assumed he would, Kiros simply raised them to guard his face. He didn't seem to want to risk being shot however, as he managed to dodge every which way to avoid the attacks.

Laguna held the trigger down, shooting at the strange soldiers, but they didn't seem to care. Some of the shots connected, sending the enemy weapon off target, but they just resumed their battle stance, almost like it hadn't hurt.

"What the fuck is going on?" Laguna shouted, even as Kiros was forced to back away from the enemy slightly before resuming his charge.

"Some kinda new armour?" Ward answered, still warding off the three soldiers behind them.

"No armour should be able to actually _stop_ a bullet," Laguna argued. "Something's definitely wrong with this picture."

"Wanna trade?" Ward asked. "If a bullet can't stop 'em, I know something that will."

Laguna was about to question him when he saw Ward patting the anchor in his hands almost affectionately. "It'll leave you an open target."

"And if we don't do something, Kiros'll be full of holes," Ward said. "It's better than our odds now."

"There's no way you'll be able to hit them from here." Laguna argued still. "And if you move out from cover, _I'll_ have no back up."

"Which is why I'm not movin'," Ward said as he rose to his feet. The rock they were hiding behind was barely able to cover Laguna at his 5'9", but Ward was a hulking and intimidating giant of 7 feet. Even as he stood, he was forced to duck slightly as the gunfire behind them picked up again. "Wish me luck."

"Not even _you_ can throw that anchor that far!" Laguna shouted.

"I bet you 100 gil that I can!" Ward shouted back and before Laguna could stop him, the giant reared back and actually _threw_ the anchor – something that must have easily weighed at least a ton. The weapon rose up into the air before passing Kiros altogether (Kiros was forced to hit the dirt to avoid being run through) and slam right through the stomach of one of the two soldiers. The soldier flew backwards, almost in slow motion, before landing onto the ground behind them, the anchor still impaled into its abdomen.

Squall could not believe it, and as he felt Laguna's jaw dropped in awe, Squall found himself wondering if he had willed the act. Ward looked like a power house with arms as wide as himself, but it still should have been _impossible_ for him to throw the damned thing more than a couple feet at best. Ward appeared to have realized this and he stared in shock at the impressive seven yard length. Squall was almost positive that had Kiros the time to be surprised, he would've stayed right where he was, but instead the lithe was forced to dodge another shot from the remaining strange soldier, who didn't appear all too concerned that his comrade had just been harpooned.

After a moment had passed between Ward and Laguna, Ward broke through the awe-struck silence. "You owe me a 100 gil."

"How the _hell_ did you do that?" Laguna asked, whirling to look at him. The gunfire had stopped, a clear sign that the soldiers had seen what had happened. "You just _threw _that thing like a fucking _football_!"

"I dunno," Ward said. "I figured it'd distract the soldier and give Kiros time to attack, but that was…"

"Fucking _awesome!_" Laguna finished for him.

Ward kind of looked at him for a moment before saying anything. "Not exactly how _I_ would phrase it, but yeah, I guess it was pretty fucking awesome." The giant laughed lightly, no doubt visualizing the act and probably knowing that no one would believe it unless they had been there. "But, in all seriousness, I've _never_ been able to throw _anything_ as large as the anchor that far. It's like I've got super strength or something."

"No kidding…" Laguna said. However, just then, the enemy behind them resumed their weapons fire, forcing Laguna and Ward to duck down again. Just as they were waiting for something to happen, Kiros seemed to gain a boost of speed and charged straight for the remaining soldier, slashing at him with the knives he held.

For an instant, nothing happened, except the weapon's fire stopped on that side, but a moment later, the soldiers head fell forward as the soldier fell backwards, signalling that Kiros had taken it off. Still, Kiros hesitated for a moment and that was all the enemy needed; they opened fire, probably thinking they could take him down, however, Laguna sprang into action, opening fire himself and forcing the enemy to take cover. It was the time Kiros needed to find cover himself.

"Never seen Kiros move _that_ fast before," Ward commented.

"I think we have more important things to worry about right now," Laguna said as he stopped shooting and grabbed another pineapple grenade. A sense of déjà vu almost overtook the SeeD but he ignored it, watching as Laguna pulled the pin off the thing before throwing it over their cover. Seconds later, the grenade exploded and quaked the ground in response.

After a moment, Laguna poked his head out from behind the rock, and but nothing happened. He'd caught a glimpse of something on the ground where the soldiers had been, but whatever it was wasn't moving. Finally, he shrank back down, sighing in relief. Ward did the same.

"_Now_ can we worry about what's happening to us?" Ward asked.

"I wouldn't," Kiros said as he came back towards them. He was breathing heavily from his sprint and was dragging Ward's harpoon. Even stranger to that was that Kiros was lanky looking and thus shouldn't have been able to lift that thing at all let alone _move_ it. "There's more coming back that way," he indicated the direction they had come from. "We'd better run for it.

Laguna didn't argue and, after Ward took back his weapon, they ran straight along the catwalk, ignoring the corpses littering the floor, and continued down the hall. Laguna kept looking behind and, sure enough, more of the Esthar soldiers were tailing them. Some of them bore the strange green outfits, while others sported the purple.

He turned back around and noted grimly that they were faced with a dead end. The catwalk ended in a curved circle. There was a hole in the very centre that led down, and a ladder that was propped up onto the side.

"Down," Laguna shouted, both Kiros and Ward nodding in unison. Kiros took the ladder first while Laguna opened fire to hold the enemy at bay. Ward was the next to go, and as soon as he figured he should, Laguna grabbed one of his pineapple grenades, pulled the pin and tossed it forward. The object rolled along the ground almost harmlessly before Laguna turned his back on the advancing enemy and jumped with his arms folded across his chest and his legs linked tightly as he braced himself for the inevitable explosion that was to follow. Hitting the ground beneath him, he quickly switched the position and covered his head with his arms, barely watching his comrades do the same before a deafening explosion sounded from above, blowing smoke down the hole and covering them with it.

Kiros started to cough loudly as he tried to take a breath, and Laguna cleared his throat as well, not wanting to inhale smoke. They waited for the smoke to die down before sitting up against the wall, breathing heavily as they waited for any sign that any of the soldiers above had survived the blast. No one moved for several long minutes, and Squall took the moment to mull over just what the hell had just happened. Squall didn't need to be a mind reader to know that Laguna was doing the same thing. After a moment, Kiros broke the awkward silence. "So… can anyone explain why I suddenly turned into 'Rocket Man'?"

"I turned into 'the Thing'," Ward added helpfully.

"I didn't think there was a difference," Kiros joked. Ward scowled in response. "But seriously," Kiros said, getting them back on track. "I've never run _that_ fast before. And Ward's never thrown anything _that_ far before either."

"And you _couldn't_ have picked up my harpoon that easily," Ward pointed out, to which Kiros blinked. Apparently the darker skinned man hadn't even considered that, and his expression turned contemplative as he seemingly rolled the notion around in his head.

"What am I, chopped liver?" Laguna asked, sounding very much like he was sulking.

"I don't see how this could've happened," Kiros continued as he seemingly easily ignored Laguna, who huffed a sigh in response. "We get in trouble and _just_ _happen_ to be able to do that kind of stuff. It sounds a little _too_ convenient if you ask me."

"It's almost like," Ward started before suddenly stopping in midsentence. Both Laguna and Kiros waited expectantly but Ward seemed to have gone into shock.

"It's almost like…" Laguna prompted.

"Um… guys… do you remember that faint buzzing noise from before? Ya know, back when we were in Timber?"

"Yeah…" Kiros said. "What about it?"

"I think it's back. I can hear it… kinda…"

Laguna stopped for a moment and listened. Squall couldn't hear the noise, but he hadn't been able to the previous time the trio had brought the topic up. However, he was more concerned with the point Ward was trying to make.

"Oh yeah…" Laguna said after a minute. "The faeries must've come back."

If he could have, Squall would've scowled.

"So… what does _that_ have to do with…?" Kiros started but Ward cut him off.

"I don't remember being that strong when the buzzing noise wasn't here," Ward pointed out before pointing at Kiros. "Do _you_ remember being that fast and lifting shit you couldn't normally?"

Kiros opened his mouth but shut it and appeared thoughtful for a second. When that second had passed he spoke. "No… no, I've never been that fast _or _that strong."

"I don't notice anything different about me," Laguna pointed out, as though to join in on the conversation.

"You're reaction time is much better than usual," Kiros offered helpfully. "_And _you're much better at being quiet when you walk."

"Not to mention that your aim's improved," Ward said.

"You guys make me feel so much better," Laguna retorted in a flat tone.

"Well, maybe it's because of the faeries," Ward suggested. "The things buzzing around in our heads. Maybe _they're_ responsible for the super strength and speed and, uh, reflexes?"

The more they discussed the issue, the more Squall was inclined to agree with Ward. If it was possible for him and the others to become trapped inside the bodies of three soldiers he'd never before crossed paths with, then it could easily be said that said soldiers were also influenced by their presence. Up until this moment, the SeeD had assumed that it was one sided, but clearly that was not the case. Squall didn't doubt that the reason their reaction speed and strength was so much better than they were used to could've been because of their junctions.

"I guess we can figure out _how_ they're actually doing it later," Kiros said as he rose to his feet, directing the conversation towards them. "I'd like to address the issue with the soldiers in green who seem to have a death wish."

Kiros threw something at Laguna – who was sitting across from him. Squall wasn't aware that the other soldier had been carrying anything in the first place and apparently Laguna hadn't expected him to throw said object at him, and made a clumsy attempt at trying to catch it. When he did, he cried out in shock before tossing it over towards Ward who mimicked the sound but jumped back and away in his fright, dropping the object in his panic. Under any other circumstance, Squall might have been amused at the sight of a seven-foot tall giant of a man trying to back up into the wall behind him and away from the small object, but disregarding even that, Squall could only stare in grim confusion as said object hit the ground and stayed in place.

The only person who remained outwardly calm about the event at all was Kiros, though judging by his wary glance the sight of it spooked him at all. It was a head – the very head that belonged to the soldier Kiros had cut off.

"Notice anything different about it?" Kiros asked.

Ward and Laguna exchanged glances before Laguna crawled over to the head and Squall realized there _was_ something different. There was no blood. The head should have been dripping with it by this time, but instead there were a bunch of ripped wires and cables protruding from where the base of the neck was supposed to start.

"The guy Ward impaled was much the same," Kiros explained as Ward took a closer look at the head. "Yeah, there was blood, but not as much as there _should've_ been. Mostly, there were cables and broken wires jutting out of his chest. I thought they were intestines at first but when I checked it out I realized that wasn't the case."

Raising an eyebrow, Laguna frowned thoughtfully. The fact that the head was lacking blood was definitely strange and it left two options for them. That the soldiers were still alive but faking (academy award winning performances), or…

"The infamous Cyborg Cell…" Laguna muttered underneath his breath.

Squall didn't need him to go into further detail. He'd heard all about them at the Garden during his training. During the Sorceress War, Esthar had used soldiers that were either dead or dying from their own encounters and fused them with mechanical parts to synthesise their own brand of fighting soldiers, ones that never tired nor registered any pain. It was set as a means of combating the steadily increasing Galbadian forces, which was made up of men and women patriotic enough to fight for their country.

Laguna looked up from his musings and shifted slightly, almost from contemplation. "I didn't think they were real."

"You said it," Ward nodded in agreement. "Thought the Sergeant was joshing us when he started in on those stories."

"Here's evidence that they exist though," Kiros stated simply, indicating the head once more. "We might have even stumbled onto one of their manufacturing base."

Laguna suddenly grinned and rose to his feet so quickly Squall was amazed he hadn't gotten light headed. "You know what this means, don't you?" Laguna asked his subordinates, both of whom exchanged glances and shrugged. "It means that if we can take out this base, it might get us a step closer to winning the war."

Squall would've groaned if he could. The whole testament sounded eerily like Seifer suggesting they abandon their post in favour of the Communication Tower in Dollet, or the Forest Owls plotting Timber's Independence. Neither instances had ended well and he could only hope that Kiros and Ward were smart enough to say no to the plan, despite it being against orders. Somehow he doubted Laguna would care enough to report them for their insubordination.

"There doesn't seem to be a means of getting back to the surface from here anyway," Kiros said thoughtfully and Squall was almost horrified to discover they were actually contemplating this course of action.

"Not to mention those Esthar soldiers'll be coming after us," Ward pointed out.

"Then let's get going, shall we?"

As if on cue, the trio heard noises from above just as they were about ready to set out. Raising his weapon, Laguna aimed it at the hole they'd climbed down and waited for any sign of movement. He wasn't forced to wait long, because an Esthar soldier wearing one of the purple uniforms jumped down from the hole – probably a member of a scouting party. Instantly the gunner opened fire and the soldier fell limp atop the ground they stood, blood beginning to pool and surround the lifeless soldier.

"That one's human," Laguna deadpanned almost comically.

"And now there'll be _more_ of them coming," Kiros said as he slapped himself in the forehead. "You can't _possibly_ have enough ammo to take them _all_ out, do you?"

Laguna frowned in contemplation as he looked down at his waist where his clips were presumably stored. Squall took in the sight with grim realization. The gunner appeared to have five clips on his person, not including the one already in the chamber. Something told the SeeD that it would need to be reloaded soon anyway.

Apparently Laguna was thinking along the same lines, because he didn't offer up any objections as his comrades high-tailed it further down the hall and instead followed afterwards. Squall could only hope that they were able to put as much distance between themselves and the Esthar soldiers as possible.


	24. Chapter XXIII: Another Case of Bad Luck

**Edited: **_02/04/09_

**Edited: **_05/31/10_

* * *

**Chapter XXIII:  
Another Case of Bad Luck**

* * *

The crunch of footfalls hitting the ground and panting filled the air around them, momentarily disturbed as Laguna shot at their pursuers before darting forward in a plight to keep up with his team. This was a constant occurrence as they shot down the hall and because of the rapid movements, Squall was unable to ascertain whether or not they were actually being followed. That being said, he was glad that this trio was smart enough (for once) to not simply wait for the danger to come them, instead running from a fight that they were clearly outgunned.

After all, there was only so much a team of three Galbadian soldiers could do against a whole station filled with Esthar soldiers – some of them not even human anymore.

The Esthar soldiers were persistent in their chase though, because as Laguna turned to spray them with more gunfire, he was forced to abort and sprint to Kiros and Wards location as the enemy opened fire. Ducking around the corner, Laguna liberated one of his pineapple grenades, removed the pin and tossed it out into the open. It detonated seconds later. There was no sign or sound that indicated he had hit anything, though the soldier was fortunately smart enough not to stick around and find out, instead rushing forward in an attempt to reach his still fleeing companions.

They continued to run for only Hyne knew how long, Squall having long since lost track of the time. More importantly, the three Galbadians seemed to have lost their way around though for this the SeeD could not fault them. Not with the walls being of the same crystalized material as they'd seen from above and with nothing at all to discern their location. There had been no reprieve since their impromptu break, evident in the way their breaths came out in heavy pants.

It was for these reasons alone why Squall did not believe in their chances of survival.

He had tried to communicate with Laguna, assuming him to be the only person capable of hearing him since he was merely a spectator in this adventure, but all the soldier appeared to hear was an indistinct and unintelligible buzzing noise, not unlike the one he'd first heard before losing consciousness in the forest. Eventually he resigned to his fate, knowing truly that there was nothing he was able to accomplish by distracting the soldier.

Finally, as the trio managed to curve around another corner, Squall managed to see something that stood out amongst the blue crystal, for what little it could help. Despite the momentary interruption when Laguna shot at their pursuers from around cover, Squall realized that what he had spotted initially were a set of doors seemingly built into the ground. Metallic in colour, they stood in stark and would have been difficult to miss. He gathered that they were garbage shoots but unless Laguna decided to investigate, he couldn't be completely sure.

While their leader had taken those shots, Kiros and Ward had continued their run. From what Squall could tell, the pair were all but entirely useless in a distanced fight and thus were leaving the task of delaying their pursuers to Laguna. Not that Squall could blame them, though the ability to use magic would have been a godsend. But as Laguna had managed to force the enemy soldiers to duck for cover, there was a shout of surprise from behind. Turning around, it was discovered that Ward had almost fallen through one of the doors, the weight of the 7-foot giant being far too much to sustain. Kiros was already in the midst of pulling the larger soldier up and Laguna abandoned his post at the corner to do the same. It was only after a few minutes of tugging and pulling when all three of them were finally on solid ground once more. Everyone was breathing heavily, Laguna and Kiros from the exertion of saving their comrade and Ward from the close call he had suffered.

"Ward, lose the muscle, or I'll beat you with your barbells," Kiros threatened between intakes of breaths. Ward laughed in response.

"Yeah, right. The faeries won't stick around _that _long. But go ahead and try it if you think you can."

Laguna seemed distracted, almost as though he'd missed the exchange between his two friends. His sight was solely trained on the open chute behind them and after a minute he moved over to inspect it. Kiros and Ward were none the wiser, continuing to banter amongst themselves but it was after maybe a minute of Laguna's inspection that Squall realized what the cause of the sudden pit-fall had been. The latch that was supposed to keep the chute closed was loose, and was probably caused when Ward crossed over it.

"Hey Laguna," Kiros' voice broke through Laguna's thoughts and caused the leader of the trio to look up in alarm. "If you stare at it long enough, that chute might actually _do _something."

"I think I might have an idea," Laguna said in response, seemingly ignoring the jab. Squall wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not, but he'd have to puzzle over it later. It wasn't like he could actively object to it.

However, before Laguna could express what this so-called idea was, the sound of gunfire filled the air. The Esthar soldiers must've realized they had become distracted by something, because without Laguna pelting them with gunfire, they were now free to do the same. Laguna seemed to realize his folly and, rolling onto his stomach – because he had landed on his back after pulling Ward up from the hole – he opened fire with the submachine gun. The blasts went wild and, surprisingly, above all that noise Squall heard someone shout out something in a language he didn't understand. The Esthar soldiers were probably closing in on their location, and he didn't doubt that that call had been an order to standby. "Sorry. Forgot all about them."

Kiros shook his head but Ward looked almost amused by the declaration. "You were saying?" The bigger man asked, though he was keeping his voice low.

Laguna seemed to get the hint and gestured for the others to move closer to him. When they were close enough, he cleared his throat and began again. "I think I've come up with a brilliant idea."

"He's gonna do something stupid again, isn't he?" Ward asked. There was a hesitation in his voice that Squall could not fault.

"Okay, what're you up to this time?" Kiros asked, equally sceptical.

Despite the commentary, however, Laguna grinned, however, before he could say anything, the gunfire from the other side resumed. Sighing, Laguna returned fire and after a moment, the silence was deafening. "You're gonna regret saying that, guys. You really are."

"That's what you said _last_ time," Kiros pointed out.

"You do remember what the old saying is, right?" Laguna asked. Kiros and Ward exchanged glances. Apparently they did not. Neither did Squall, but he didn't have to ask. "Those who make fun of a genius will end up crying in the end. It's exactly what's happening here."

"So…" Ward said awkwardly. "Who exactly _is_ the genius?"

Laguna slapped himself in the forehead and allowed his gloved hand to run down his face before he took in a calming breath and continued. "Not exactly the point, but just hear me out, will ya? Seriously?"

When the other two made no objection, Laguna went to continue but sounds from the direction they had come from forced him to stop. Sighing once more, Laguna resumed gunfire. He let up once again, nodded to himself when there was no sound and called out from behind cover, "Hey! Chill out, will ya? I'm _trying _to have a _private _conversation!"

Kiros blinked in surprise. "They can _understand _Galbadian?"

Laguna shrugged. "Don't think so. It's why I said it."

As Ward and Kiros exchanged glances between one another, Laguna took the opportunity to continue. "Anyways, like I was saying, if we pull out the pin to that garbage chute cover… Ah hell, we don't have time for this, so I'll just _show_ ya."

Gesturing that the pair should step back, he waited until they'd followed his advice before quickly crawling over to the chute. Carefully, he used his right hand to pry out the pin that was shaped like a miniature rod. It took a few tries, and Laguna cursed softly under his breath as his fingers began to cramp, but eventually he managed to pry it out. However, the gunfire resumed at the moment Laguna was starting to rise. The sound startled the soldier and, as a result, he dropped the pin through the open hole that was now the chute.

"Oh shoot," Laguna cursed, having attempted to catch it, only to watch as it disappeared out of sight. "Oh well. They're gonna be sorry I did that."

Raising his weapon, Laguna opened fire once more and moved the submachine gun from right to left and back again causing a stream of gunfire. Kiros and Ward seemed to have not been provided a close enough view of what their C.O had just done, though Squall was more aware of the plan and the reason for the Esthar soldiers' upcoming regret.

After closing the door to the chute, Laguna backed away from the enemy who, from the sounds of it, were preparing to advance, and backed up until he managed to find cover in another corridor. Kiros and Ward had ducked behind the opening opposite to him and Laguna continued to open fire, probably in an attempt to hold them off until they could get a decent head start.

"So what exactly did you do?" Ward yelled over the gunfire.

Laguna reloaded his weapon and, with a click, the ammunition pack slid into place. He stayed his place though, waiting a few seconds before opening fire once again. "I pulled out that pin."

"Pin? What pin?"

"The one that was loose from the chute!" Laguna answered. "Ward jarred it loose earlier, but it was still in functioning order. Without it, that door won't even hold up a pebble!"

"So when the Esthar soldiers try to run across…" Kiros yelled over the gunfire. It seemed he was starting to catch on.

"Yeah, right…" Ward said as he barked out a laugh. "Like the Esthar soldiers are gonna fall for something _that_ dumb. They'll jump over it without a second thought!"

"That's not what _you _did!" Laguna declared brightly. Ward made a face but didn't say anything.

And just when Squall thought the plan was going to be a dud, three Esthar soldiers rounded the corner, gunfire blasting at the trio. Immediately, the trio of Galbadian soldiers ducked their heads and made a run for it away from the area. The soldiers were in hot pursuit but an instant later, Squall heard a loud clanking sound that was followed closely by the sound of someone screaming. Laguna whirled around as though to open fire, but the three soldiers had disappeared. It took a second for the SeeD to realize that Laguna's plan had _actually_ worked.

"Well what do you know...?" Kiros said in awe. "It worked."

"See!" Laguna said, nodding vigorously. "I told you! I'm _such_ a genius."

_Modest too,_ Squall thought sardonically.

"But that trap's not gonna be as effective now," Ward said. "Not unless we prop the door back up. And anyways, the Esthar soldiers probably know another way around to get to us."

"Ward's right," Kiros agreed, cutting the celebration short. "We'd better get moving."

* * *

They'd continued down the hallway, turning corners that still looked relatively the same, and hadn't stopped at all since Laguna had set the trap. Squall was becoming more and more convinced that they were lost, and it didn't help matters when they suddenly reached a fork. They could either choose to head north (at least, he assumed they were heading north) or to keep going straight ahead. Either way though, no one had any clue where either path would lead them.

Dreading the decision, Squall was relieved to hear the sound of footfalls headed in their direction from the latter pathway. He figured this would get them to choose faster, however they weren't quick enough in their reaction and were confronted by the two soldiers who appeared from the entrance way.

Having reloaded his weapon as they'd moved, Laguna opened fire with the machine gun and caught both of them, one in the chest and the other with a head shot. A third soldier then appeared out of nowhere and Kiros leapt forward, impaling him with one of the long blades he still wielded.

"And now to leave," Laguna said, "before they attract more of our 'admirers'."

They took the north path. As they moved further along the path, Squall began to realize that they were walking on an upward slope. Wherever they were headed, it was somewhere high up. By the time they reached the top, they were faced with another fork. They could either continue heading north, or move east.

By a vote of two-to-one, they'd continued north through a tunnel and up the stairs that were set up at the end.

They emerged on a catwalk, which was a welcomed change to the rest of the facility thus far. Still they were surrounded by synthesized crystal, but the space itself seemed bigger. Unfortunately, the catwalk was the opposite. It was built (or crafted) so that there was barely enough room for all three of them to walk side by side without touching each other. The railings were thin, made of a blue and yellow material, while the ground was blue and transparent. When Laguna looked down, Squall could see that they were standing above an ominous looking pit.

"Esthar people sure are strange," Laguna deadpanned as he redirected his gaze to Kiros and Ward. "Why would I wanna _see_ my impending doom as I walk _over_ it?"

Squall thoughts suddenly returned to the bridge back in Dollet during the Field Exam. It too had only just been wide enough for his squad to walk along side by side comfortably. Unfortunately it had also been wide enough to permit the Black Widow pursuing them room to chase after him, Zell and Selphie. It wasn't exactly a memory he revelled in.

But at least it had been completely opaque.

"You know what would make this situation suck?" Laguna suddenly piped up. The man seemed determined to fill the silence with his own voice.

"What? You mean more than it already does?" Ward asked good naturedly.

"If, from the very top of that ceiling over there," Laguna pointed over towards the rather large expanse of space to their left. The bridge they were on continued up before turning in that direction towards a hole in the western most wall, "some giant blood spewing spider just crawled right out and tried to eat us."

"You've been watching _way_ too many of those tacky horror movies," Kiros quipped as they continued along the path. Their weapons were at the ready, in case they needed to defend themselves quickly.

"My horror movies are _not_ tacky."

_It sounds like they're arguing with Zell… _Squall thought morbidly.

In response, Laguna shook his head and rung out his ear using the palm of his left hand. "I wish we could understand what the Faeries are saying. Gives me a headache with the incessant buzzing."

As they got near a set of stairs up ahead, they heard noises coming from behind them. Stopping to turn around and investigate, the trio tightened the grip they had on their weapons. Steadily the noises grew louder, and the three of them slowly exchanged glances between one another before Kiros finally broke the hanging silence. "Uh... just curious but _why_ are we waiting for our impending doom?"

"That..." Laguna said, "is an excellent question."

"Why _aren't _we running?" Ward asked

"We are now!" Laguna answered, ushering them to follow him. They did so earnestly.

They charged up the stairs one at a time (they contrasted with the bridge and it was too narrow for them all to fit together) and ran flat out, coming to a bridge that turned sharply towards the left. Like the previous catwalk, it was wide enough to fit them all, and they raced along it, Laguna taking a tentative look over his shoulder to see what they would have faced.

There were at least a dozen Esthar soldiers chasing after them – they dazzled the eyes thanks to their sparkling purple or green uniforms, but moving along with them at a moderate pace was something he'd never seen before. It was a large ball suspended at least twenty feet from the ground. It was attached to some kind of platform and supported by four long legs that were positioned like those from a table. The ball spun around, almost as though it were looking for them.

The ball stopped suddenly, fixed on the three of them and began to glow a white light. Laguna felt someone pull him away and the beam cut through the railing and a large chunk of the floor. Both pieces fell into the pit below.

"Don't marvel it!" Kiros snapped as he and Ward helped Laguna to his feet. "What are you? Five?"

"I think we should go before more company shows up..." Ward suggested, but as soon as Laguna looked up, he didn't think that was going to be possible.

Standing between them and their only escape were another squadron of soldiers – both human and cyborg – but also there was this big ugly creature standing with them. Its face looked like it had been painted haphazardly on a detachable button, and its body was just a big blue mass. It had arms and legs made of some coiling material, and oversized white hands that made Squall think of something from a children's cartoon. On its feet were oversized beige shoes. Squall didn't think that its feet were really _that_ massive.

"That's probably not gonna be an option," Laguna said, stating the obvious, as he and his team backed into each other; there was no way they were leaving their backs unprotected.

"It's either we fight, or we jump," Kiros said and Laguna caught him looking down from the corner of his eye. He didn't seem too thrilled about their options.

As if to answer, Laguna opened fire, spraying bullets in front of him and catching the advancing soldiers. The humans dropped or fell back from their injuries, but the cyborgs continued their advance, though even some of them fell to the ground when the bullets ricocheted off the big metal thing's legs and into them from behind. Laguna frowned thoughtfully and Squall knew why. The submachine gun wasn't going to cut it with that thing.

Suddenly, he felt himself grabbed from behind and forced onto the ground. He looked over and noticed that Kiros had been as well. He appeared confused from the transition. Laguna looked around to see if Ward had been knocked down, but the bigger man didn't appear all too concerned about that. "Just stay down!"

Laguna was about to ask why, but suddenly the air above him distorted. Looking up, he realized that he could see ripples running through the air. There was something about it that screamed that there was something wrong. Squall had never seen an attack like that before and judging by the trio's expressions and exclamations, they hadn't either.

Laguna diverted his attention towards the advancing enemy and Squall saw that the row of cyber-soldiers in the front were revolving on the spot, as though they'd been caught in some kind of vortex. Then the most amazing thing happened. They were _shrinking_ – growing smaller by the minute until they suddenly vanished into thin air.

"How'd you...?" Kiros asked, even as the enemy started firing at them again.

"I dunno," Ward shook his head, looking puzzled before ducking from the bullet fire cascading around them. "I saw the thing waving it's fucking arms and I got the feeling that I _didn't_ want whatever the fuck it was gonna do to do them happen to me, so..." He trailed off, seemingly confused by what he was saying. "I guess I cut a break there."

"Which thing?" Laguna shouted, opening fire as best as he could. He managed to shoot two soldiers in the chest and one in the leg before he was forced to stop and move. He took a look around before resting his sights on the abomination blocking their way. "That thing? Over there?"

He pointed in the direction he was talking about and Ward nodded his head.

"That's it," Kiros said, pulling himself up into a crouching position. "I never liked the look of it anyway."

And he sprinted off, the knives at the ready, even as Ward and Laguna shouted at him to stop. Scowling, Laguna covered him, shooting at the soldiers and keeping their sights off the lanky fighter. He watched as Kiros stopped inches away from the stupid looking critter and dropping into a crouch as it tried to sucker punch him (Laguna got the image of a boxer with an oversized glove trying to hit the cartoon hero). Kiros slashed upwards and cut up the thing's arm before he slashed horizontally across its chest. The thing attempted to swat at him with his remaining hand, only for it to lose that too. Finally, Kiros lunged forward and slashed horizontally once more before its head fell to the ground beneath them. The body toppling over a second later.

Kiros redirected his attention to the nearest soldiers and slashed at them, only the cyborgs stood their ground and continued to open fire on the other two. Squall instantly realized what he was trying to do. He was distracting the guards long enough for them to get the fuck outta dodge.

Ward seemed to realize this as well, because he picked himself up and, side-by-side, they ran straight ahead. Ward covered his head with his massive arms, and Laguna, who was running backwards, held the trigger down, spraying the enemy with bullets.

Next thing he knew, they were through the gap and, with Kiros behind them, they ran along the curving cavern that lay ahead. All thoughts of becoming lost failed to register; the only thing they were concerned about was getting as far away from the soldiers as possible.

The first junction Laguna seemed to spot, he took it. As a result, the trio turned a sharp left (Squall knew this because he heard the pounding of footfalls that indicated Kiros and Ward were following after him). Suddenly, the SeeD felt a wave of fresh salt air hit him before he realized they were out of the cavern, finding himself walking on wooden planks instead of that stupid crystallized flooring (of which he _never_ wanted to see again for as long as he lived). But the relief he felt was short lived. The wooden planks ended abruptly a few feet away and, from the looks of it, they were standing right over a cliff.

"What was that," Ward asked as he took in their surroundings, "about your sense of direction getting better?"

Laguna wisely chose not to respond. From the automatic shift in his features, Squall knew the soldier was too shocked to do so. Right after he managed to recover however, two soldiers rushed in, their weapons primed at held at the ready.

It happened so fast that Squall barely registered it. One of the cyborgs tossed his gun – it had some kind of bended blade attached at the top – while the other opened fire. Laguna's instincts reacted faster than anyone could have expected and he dove to the ground, the bladed boomerang passing over his head with a sharp whooshing sound.

The next thing he knew, the submachine gun was in his hands once more and he opened fire on the soldiers, hitting them in the legs and watching as the bullets tore through what would have been ligaments if they had been human. Sparks flew where there should have been blood, and silence (save for the gunfire) reigned where screams should have overtaken it. Laguna raised the weapon up and shot into the chests of the soldiers, watching as they were forced backwards until they finally crashed onto the ground behind with a mechanical thud. One of the bodies twitched, but no movement happened after that.

Laguna whirled around and noticed that Kiros was cradling his arm. The SeeD caught sight of the blood leaking from the wound the lithe fighter was trying to cover up with his left arm. The reason was obvious. He'd either been wounded by stray gunfire or hit by the whirling axe-gun. "Are you okay?" Laguna called out to him, his tone betraying his worry.

"Forget about me," Kiros said, looking past him. "It's Ward!"

Laguna whirled around and Squall couldn't believe what he was seeing. The bigger soldier was lying on his back, clawing at his throat where blood was steadily streaming onto the plank below their feet. Both he and Kiros rushed forward, Laguna inspecting the wound as Kiros pulled out his med kit. Even as they set to work, Squall knew there wasn't much they could do for him – the cut looked far too deep.

"It was the boomerang," Kiros explained. "I froze when I saw it happen and that's when I was hit."

Laguna applied a rag over Ward's throat and the white material quickly became stained in red, but Laguna didn't dare remove it. All Squall could do was watch as they attempted to staunch the blood flow, but judging by how deep the weapon had slashed, there was little anyone could do for him here. Ward needed medical attention, the kind that could only be given from a hospital and trained professionals. It was a miracle that Ward was even still alive.

The company commander cursed lightly under his breath as he continued to apply pressure to the wound. Squall could tell from how desperate the man's actions were that he was blaming himself. He had ducked while Ward had been hit full force, and considering the kind of person Laguna was, he was most likely hating the knowledge that he would be leaving this failure of a mission unscathed while his comrade would most likely die, all because of a difference in reaction speed.

"Laguna, look!" Kiros shouted.

Daring not to remove the pressure from Ward's throat, he looked over the plank and saw what Kiros was indicating. There was the ocean, the very ocean they'd undoubtedly sailed across in order to get to this place. And miraculously there were boats down there. Squall couldn't believe the dumb luck. It looked like the trio would be saved after all.

At least, that was if they could get to Ward in time.

"The boats!" Laguna shouted. "We get Ward on one of those, we're saved!"

Squall could tell from the expression on Kiros' face that he had come to the same conclusion as him, though surprisingly enough he kept his silence, if only for a moment. Laguna appeared oblivious, his actions becoming animated as he searched for something they could use presumably to carry the larger soldier with.

Finally though the dark skinned soldier seemed to not be able to hold his peace any longer. "Laguna, even if we can get him to the boats, there's no guarantee..."

"Don't say that!" Laguna shouted, cutting Kiros off. "If you say something bad, it's gonna come true; didn't your grandmother teach you that?"

"Yeah..." Kiros said after a moment's hesitation. He seemed to have gotten the point. "Yeah, she did..."

Ward suddenly drew in a breath. It sounded horribly like someone was choking and Kiros took over applying the pressure as Laguna bent down to check on him. "I think he's trying to say something."

"He shouldn't be trying to talk at all," Kiros said, holding the clamp down.

Still, Ward was stubborn; Squall had gotten that indication from their previous misadventure.

The bigger man took another gulp of breath and tried again. "It-wa-fu-you-guys..." Another gulp of breath. "Ki...ros...La...gun...a... it...wa...fun..."

"First of all, shut the hell up," Laguna snapped. Squall could feel his eyes burning but knew that it was Laguna's tears he'd be shedding. Still, the soldier fought against them as best he could before forcing himself to speak once again. "Second, it's not cool to say things like that when you're gonna be okay."

He suddenly heard footfalls coming from the direction they had come and Laguna whirled around, producing the submachine gun from his side in preparation to greet their uninvited guests.

Only Squall never found out what it was. The world around him turned black and it felt for a moment like he was falling, the ground seemingly having disappeared from underneath him. After a moment, he realized he was lying on his back and that his eyes were closed. He cracked them open slowly, the bright light nearly taking out his retinas. He forced himself up into a sitting position and heard a gasp of shock from nearby that was distinctly feminine.

When he was able to fully open his eyes, he noticed that Rinoa had backed away from him. It was obvious he'd shocked her when he'd come around. Zell looked as though he'd been in mid-stride, and he couldn't help the dumb stricken expression that had undoubtedly formed in his features at the sight. The last time this strange phenomenon had taken place, all three members of the Timber team had fallen prey to it. Seeing Zell pacing gave him the idea that the brawler had been waiting for them to come around, which made him realize it wasn't just limited to the three of them.

From his right, Selphie was stumbling almost drunkenly back up onto her feet, shaking her head while supporting her weight against the boulder Rinoa had sat on previously. Quistis was pulling herself up using the support of the tree she'd been leaning on. She was gripping at her throat gingerly, even though there was no sign of injury.

Squall frowned thoughtfully even as he pulled himself up onto his own feet. He could've explained what was happening to them if it had only just been him, but it wasn't. First Selphie and Zell, and now Quistis was experiencing the same thing.

"Was it Laguna again?" Zell asked almost expectantly.

"Sir Laguna's in big trouble," Selphie said in worry. Staring at the diminutive SeeD, Squall wondered when she'd come up with the title for him but shrugged it off. It wasn't exactly important. "It doesn't look very good for him _or_ the others."

Judging by the lack of surprise or confusion from her features, Squall assumed that Zell had filled Rinoa in on the strange occurrences. Unfortunately, having lost consciousness like him and Selphie, Quistis looked baffled. "This doesn't seem to be the first time this has happened," she said carefully.

Squall nodded in response. "It happened during the train ride to Timber."

"And you didn't report it?"

The teenager sighed in exasperation. "By the time we all woke up, we'd arrived in Timber. There wasn't much we could do except focus on the mission."

Quistis appeared to accept the excuse. "Well, at any rate, we've no means of contacting Garden right now, at least not until we reach our destination. But do any of you have any idea what this is?"

Selphie, Zell and Squall all shook their heads in response. Quistis sighed in response.

"Well, whatever it is, it can wait, can't it?" Zell asked. "We're almost at the Garden, right? I think we should keep going."

"We'll figure this out as soon as we can," Squall said, agreeing with Zell. "Our priority is reaching Galbadia Garden. We'll go from there."

Everyone nodded and Quistis took the lead, walking further down the path. Zell was quick to follow and Selphie continued after them. Rinoa moved as though she were going to follow, but stopped suddenly and turned to look at Squall. Because she wasn't moving, she was blocking the way and, after a moment, she spoke, rubbing her right arm with her left hand. He had noticed that this was a nervous habit of hers, almost subconscious. "Squall... about what I said earlier... Both in Timber and, um..." She cleared her throat awkwardly and her hand dropped back to her side. "I think I might have said too much. I'm sorry."

He stared at her, mildly surprised by the sudden change. He wondered where that had come from, but decided that it wasn't important. They had more important things to deal with at the moment. So Squall waved off the apology. "Forget about it."

Rinoa beamed at him, looking relatively relieved and both of them went to join the others.


	25. Chapter XXIV: Seifer's Fate

**Edited: **_02/04/09_

**Edited: **_05/31/10_

* * *

**Chapter XXIV:  
Seifer's Fate**

* * *

They hadn't been in the forest for much longer.

Despite the sudden delay the 'dream world' had caused them, the journey had passed relatively quickly. Another silence had fallen over the group of five youths, but unlike the one that preceded the strange experience it was not a heavy one, nor was it unpleasant. Zell seemed to have gotten what was bothering him off his chest and was opting not to dwell on what happened in Timber. He was following his own advice to move on and find out what happened afterwards. It was at least sparing Squall a headache.

Once they'd gotten out of the forest, however, the silence ended. The brawler had engaged Selphie in excited conversation that was keeping them more than just a little occupied. From what little he picked up (as he was trying to block out the conversation), they had been anticipating their arrival at the Garden. Squall couldn't fault them. It had been a while since any of them had eaten (as his stomach consistently had to remind him) and Selphie was looking forward to comparing the larger Garden with the other two. Presently she was the only one that he was aware of who had been to all three. Quistis wasn't telling whether or not she had visited Trabia, though it had become apparent to him that she certainly knew her way around these parts.

"I used to attend classes here," Quistis had responded when he'd asked her about it, "for a little while before transferring to Balamb."

However, aside from pointing out turns they had to make or answering Selphie and Zell's incessant questions ('Are we there yet' was becoming an annoying mantra on their part), the former instructor rarely said anything at all. Rinoa was equally quiet and hadn't spoken since her apology. Squall thought that maybe she was beginning to realize just how much bigger this whole thing was playing out. From the looks of it, things were bigger than the problems of Timber or the Forest Owls, especially if the Sorceress had allied herself with Galbadia.

The forest was thriving with life – both animal and the monster variety – but they had been left relatively alone. Quistis mentioned that because the forest was normally trekked through by the student populace of Galbadia Garden the monsters seemed to keep more to themselves, more than likely due to numerous attempts of attacking the battle trained cadets. That being said, it wasn't unheard of to hear about a student who had unwittingly been killed during a stroll. The group kept an eye out all the same, but all they saw as they continued along were birds or other animals Squall had heard of but never actually seen up close before. He wasn't complaining. He had still felt slightly strange after the latest visit to the dream world and a few strange animals and monsters wasn't anything notable in comparison.

Upon emerging from the forest, it had been a simple thirty-minute trek to the Garden. It had surprised Squall to see the lack of foliage on the opposite side of the forest, because normally grassy plains followed afterwards. In contrast, the ground was strangely barren and dusty, almost like a desert but not so much so at the same time. He wondered if Galbadia Garden had been built in this location specifically for that purpose.

Either way he hadn't like the feeling that came with it, the feeling of being exposed. Behind them all were the towering cliffs that had, a few minutes prior, surrounded them from both sides of the forests. Instinctively he kept turning around to take in the sight, knowing that it was an excellent means of an ambush. The area they had walked into was open and clear, with nothing to obstruct a sniper should they have been perched along the Cliffside, who would easily be able to make them out and kill at least a few of them before they could utilize a proper defence. He had especially disliked the fact that they had to keep their back to the area in order to reach the Garden.

At the same time, he recalled that Galbadia Garden concentrated more on weapons training rather than magic, and that it would be the perfect way to stop intruders before they could do any harm. The area was appeared easily defendable should they suspect possible infiltration, or even a means of preventing prisoners within the Garden from escaping.

Despite the curriculum, however, there were a few exceptions where students focused their training on utilizing magic like its sister Gardens but, as the former instructor had done, those students usually transferred to Balamb in order to participate in the Field exam. Like Selphie had mentioned back in the forest, Galbadian Garden and the Galbadian Military had a contract between one another that allowed students who chose to do so use their training backgrounds to enlist in the army. It wouldn't have surprised Squall to learn that some of the enemy soldiers who had fought against the Gardens had been students there previously.

When they finally reached the Garden, Squall had found himself almost intimidated by the large building. It consisted of a red coloured dome with spires protruding from different points, and a golden ring suspended in the air over top of it. The gateway into the interior itself had the looked of a face of a monster with its mouth frozen into a horrible looking yell. Two large golden rings like the one above were embedded into the ground where it sloped underneath.

Given the reactions of the others, Squall had not been not the only one who had been humbled by the sight. Rinoa and Zell both looked amazed and impressed while Selphie whispered out a gasp. Quistis had seemed mildly amused at their response and had mentioned almost casually that there were three other entrances that looked remarkably like this.

As they'd made their way down the walkway, a class of students and their instructor hovered down in green hovering machines – nitro armour from what Squall had learned – onto the pathway where the instructor – wearing a black and gold shirt, a red hat and a pair of white pants, stood in front of his class, reviewing that day's lesson.

Quistis had led them along the path to the turnstiles where she'd requested to speak to someone with authority. Squall had originally assumed she would speak to the Garden Master, but he guessed she needed to see if he was available to speak to, not to mention making arrangements for the others while they waited.

Moments later, they had all been greeted by faculty members dressed in the same attire as the instructor. Actually it had turned out that members of faculty who were dressed in that attire were Garden Faculty members who resided at the Garden. Due to a teaching shortage because of time off or injuries sustained in classes, some of the Garden Faculty were teaching in their stead. Squall didn't find it strange that there had been injuries sustained. He remembered the incident that involved himself and the T-Rexaur Seifer had dared him to attack. While he'd been saved, the instructor had been in the infirmary for at least a week afterwards. Instances like that were uncomfortably common, especially with the younger cadets at the Garden.

Apparently, the Garden Faculty had been instructed by their superiors to escort the visiting party to the reception room on the second floor. They'd followed after the faculty members, receiving curious glances from the students they had passed by. Squall noted that, while they were similar, there were differences to the student uniforms from the two Gardens. Balamb students had been issued navy-blue uniform jackets and bottom attire, but the Galbadian students wore black. Squall thought he'd heard Rinoa mention it made everyone in the Garden look like a Goth, while Zell had made a lighter comment about them as they continued on their way.

"Someday, you guys have _got _to come visit Trabia Garden," Selphie had proclaimed proudly. "Our uniforms are grey with blue ties."

After passing through a hallway on the opposite end of the entrance they'd used (they'd passed a group of students who were being forced to do push ups by another Garden Faculty member – they were wearing red sweat suits Squall assumed was their PE uniforms), they had been left inside and relatively alone the reception room.

It was elegantly decorated, with a glass coffee table that was placed in the centre of the room between two white couches, and a window made of barely translucent Plexiglas curved outward. It gave a warped and distorted view of the Garden hall. The walls were painted a bland white colour, the tiles a mundane grey beneath the black carpet that covered most of the floor. The wall opposite the window reflected their surroundings and the paint allowing the light that radiated from the fixtures above and across to bounce from its surface. Along the walls were mundane articles such as picture frames, a wooden dresser and a couple of potted plants. A small lamp with a white brim sat beside the couch closest to the window atop a simple wooden table.

It had been over an hour since Quistis had left them to speak to the Garden Master. Lunch had ended by the time they'd arrived but on the table in-between the two couches was a tray of sandwiches which had been brought up for their convenience. Now that tray was almost completely bare, a testament of just how hungry everyone had been.

No had said much since entering the room and it gave Squall time to consider what their next move should be. If Deling really did call an attack on the Garden, chances were there would need to be preparations made. Most likely, other contracts would be suspended until the conflict was sorted out, for how long, no one had any idea. This would include the 'exceptional' contract awarded to the Forest Owls by the Headmaster.

Vaguely, he wondered what they would do with Rinoa if that situation came to light. Of course, _they_ would have to return to the Garden in order to prepare, but they wouldn't be able to bring her with them. She was an outsider and, while she was still a client, they couldn't risk a breach during this time of crisis. He assumed the Garden would send her on her way, either to Dollet or back to Timber. He doubted the officials would be callous enough to send her to the Galbadian Capital, what with the charges she would be forced to face there.

Then again, the Garden Faculty at Balamb Garden was callous on any given day. It wouldn't surprise him if Galbadia Garden wasn't any different.

However, on the off-chance that Deling decided to overlook the attack (Squall highly doubted it though), they would still need to evaluate their options. The Forest Owls would still be wanted for the attempted kidnapping and they would have no choice but to keep Rinoa safe (and thus around) for as long as necessary before they could eventually go back to Timber and regroup. And if it turned out that this was the case, there was no telling how long Deling's string of 'good will' would last. Sooner or later he would come after them specifically if he chose to spare the Garden. They would have to be prepared for that possibility as well.

Her love of windows had drawn Selphie to the distorted one, where she sat crouched down, watching the blurry visage of people below her. Zell had sat down on the couch closest to the door and was turning to watch the door every few minutes, almost as though he were expecting Quistis to come blasting back inside. Rinoa stood beside the lamp, seemingly lost in thought. She still hadn't said anything since the forest.

Squall himself was leaning against the wall beside the door for the same reason Zell had positioned himself across from it. His arms were folded and his gaze was at the floor, breaking the contact every so often to check his watch. It was just half past fifteen hundred hours.

Sighing more out of boredom than from anything else, he allowed the back of his head to hit the wall behind him. From the corner of his eye he saw Zell jump with a start and turn to look at the door before he visibly relaxed.

"Wonder what's taking so long," Rinoa's voice broke the deafening silence that had overtaken the room. Even Selphie turned away from her window gazing in order to see what was going on.

Squall shrugged in response. "If she wants to speak to the Garden Master, she's going to have to go through protocol. And anyway, he's probably busy. I wouldn't be surprised if we were delayed at least a _day_ before seeing him, and that's being generous."

"Maybe we should take a look around then," Selphie chirped. "You know, gather our own intelligence. They probably heard all about the Sorceress and Deling's alliance. Timber broadcasted over the whole world, right?"

Squall was about to answer when the door beside him slid open and Quistis walked in, her stride purposeful. When she was inside and the door slid shut behind her, she took in everyone's presence. Forced to eat his words because of the former instructor yet again, Squall sighed as he folded his arms across his chest before asking the question that was on everyone's mind. "How'd it go?"

"Better than I expected," Quistis answered. "I was able to speak to the Garden Master faster than I had hoped."

"And?" Selphie asked eagerly.

"He understands our current situation." She inclined her head in Zell's direction. The brawler had gone very pale and he was clenching the material of his cargo pants so tightly his knuckles had gone white. He looked as though he were about to tear the fabric off. "And Balamb Garden is safe."

Zell's expression went blank for a minute and, after a moment of taking in the news he leaned back into the couch, letting out a long sigh of relief with the action. From across the room Selphie pumped her fists into the air and even Squall felt himself relax with the revelation. He couldn't help but feel somewhat apprehensive about the news however, and wondered what was behind Deling's sudden lenience.

Quistis was oblivious of what was going through Squall's mind, however. "The Galbadian Government issued an announcement on behalf of President Deling shortly before we arrived. It says Balamb Garden is not being held accountable for the attack on the President in Timber."

"So it's being classified as an independent act?" Selphie asked, to which Quistis nodded.

"The Government won't be retaliating against SeeD. After this announcement they wouldn't have a leg to stand on if they waged a war against us now."

This made Squall frown in contemplation, wondering why the hell would Deling sabotage his chance of going after SeeD while the world knew that his retaliation would be justified. For years SeeD had been responsible for several of Galbadia's botched assignments and attempts at expanding their borders, and that was only the tip of the iceberg that was Deling's history with the mercenary force. Seifer's actions today still didn't even begin to scratch the surface. Admittedly on accident, Zell had provided the dictator with the means to rally the whole world against SeeD for what had happened in Timber, and yet he was just letting it all go? It made absolutely no sense to him, even taking into account that he had been unharmed during the exchange, unless of course Deling was looking for something in return.

"Yeah!" Selphie agreed as she pumped a fist into the air, oblivious to Squall's mental musings. "Not with the peace proposal he made to the whole world. He really screwed himself over there, didn't he?"

"And Seifer's taking all the blame for this?" Zell asked, almost as though he didn't believe it. Judging by the look that crossed over Rinoa's features, she didn't much like the thought of that.

The expression on Quistis' face shifted suddenly and she sat down on the couch opposite Zell. Rinoa and Selphie where watching her carefully and Zell looked as though he'd thought he'd stuck his foot in it again. After a moment of silence, she finally spoke in a quiet tone. "The trial is over. And the sentence has already been carried out."

Time seemed to freeze as they all took in those words. Squall hadn't been aware of any trial proceedings that had handled a case as quickly as that (though he supposed that Deling was given a rather large priority), and as far as he had learned there hadn't been an announcement about it. Then again, he could've been wrong. Quistis had said there had been an announcement made disavowing Garden's role, so there was a chance that with it had come the message of who was being held accountable.

The silence that came after the declaration left a ringing in the air that wasn't pleasant. He felt his stomach knot at the sudden news and realized he'd been expecting Seifer to pull another one of his miraculous escapes like he did at the Garden. Obviously being under the assumption that Deling was as merciful as the Headmaster had been a mistake, and he'd paid the price for his arrogant hypothesis.

He took in Selphie and Zell's faces – they had both grown pale at the news. The latter's jaw dropped while the former just stood rooted to the spot as though movement would make the news real. Quistis also seemed to pale with the news as she appeared to be waiting for something, no doubt questions to be answered. She must've learned something when she'd spoken to the Garden Master. She still sat on the couch with her hands clasped together neatly in her lap.

Rinoa was the first to vocally react to the news; she looked as though she were about to collapse but managed to stay on her feet. She stared at Quistis as though she were a whole different person. "He was executed?" She asked, as though trying to confirm what she meant.

Quistis nodded in response after a moment's hesitation. Squall guessed Rinoa's reaction had caught the instructor somewhat off guard and had to remind himself that Rinoa and Seifer had known each other. Now he was beginning to wonder just how close they had been.

Rinoa finally did collapse onto the couch beside the former instructor from the affirmation. At first she looked as though she couldn't breathe, but eventually she released a breath and shook herself from her shock. "Of course he was," she said, and Squall had the feeling she was talking to herself more than to anyone else, trying to explain to herself why it was the truth. "He attacked the President. It'd be an obvious response for something like that..."

She pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around her legs in a hug, resting her chin atop her knees. No doubt echoing his earlier words wasn't making her feel any better. "He sacrificed himself for the Forest Owls."

"It was your group that got him involved, right?" Quistis asked and Rinoa slowly turned to face her. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't you have been prepared for something like this when you first told him of your activities? I can tell you with the utmost confidence that Seifer was, otherwise he wouldn't have come all the way out here. He may be brash, but certainly he's not an idiot. So don't think about it as Seifer sacrificing himself for you. It was his choice to make and he was prepared for the consequences."

Rinoa had a look of horror on her face and her eyes were shining. She looked like she was going to break down at any minute. Quistis appeared taken aback at the sight for a second before she bit her lip. "I'm sorry. I guess that wasn't much consolation, was it?"

Instead of answering her, Rinoa turned and looked away.

"Unlike you, though," Quistis continued, staring at her hands now, "I don't have any fond memories of him. Seifer was rather difficult, both as a classmate and a student of mine. He did whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted to, without thought of the consequences. I've seen some troubled individuals in my lifetime, mostly classmates, but he was beyond even that. Still, I don't completely believe that he was a bad guy. Look at what he was trying to do before he... well..."

The former instructor fell silent after that and continued to examine her hands.

"You really hated him, right Zell?" Selphie asked, and from the looks of it, Zell had jumped out of his skin when she'd addressed him. "You said so yourself that he was a jerk, a bully and an arrogant asshole!"

"Well," the brawler stumbled with his words, obviously taken aback. "Yeah of course he was. That was just _Seifer_. It was the way he operated. He was a regular jackass, but he was still from Garden. No matter _how_ much I hated him, he was still one of us."

He nodded once to himself, and slammed his fisted left hand into the palm of his right. "If I can, I wanna get revenge for him. That was just a shitty way for him to go."

"And what about you, Selphie?" Quistis said, looking up at the brunette.

"I didn't really know him all that well," Selphie said after a moment of contemplation. "It's kind of sad that he's gone, even though I didn't really get a good impression of him from the start. But it kinda feels anticlimactic. I sort of pictured him going down fighting, like he'd take as many people with him. I sort of had this picture in my head where, after learning he'd caught some kind of incurable disease, he grabbed a sniper rifle, went to a clock tower and started picking off tons of people. That's just the way I saw him."

Quistis stared at Selphie for a moment. Zell and Squall did the same, and none of them looked away until Rinoa broke through the silence again. She wasn't looking at any of them but at the wall, and Squall had the feeling she was talking out loud, having no real reason to think that anyone would listen to her.

"I...really did like him," she admitted, lowering her head and resting it against her knees. After a moment she turned to look at all of them, sitting up properly so she could wipe at her eyes. "He wasn't really all _that_ arrogant, like you guys are saying. He wasn't..." she stressed when she caught Zell's sceptical look. "He was just full of confidence, and had the best in mind for others. That confidence was contagious. Whenever I talked to him I'd feel like I could take on the whole world, no matter what happened."

"Was he your boyfriend?" Selphie asked bluntly. Zell looked up as well and Squall suddenly recalled that the brawler had been about to ask Seifer the same question back in Timber.

Rinoa stared at each of them critically for a second before shaking her head and returning her chin to its place atop her knees. "I'm... not really sure. I don't know actually. I _think_ I was in love, but I never really knew how _he_ felt. Even now I wonder if he was serious."

"Do you still like him?" Selphie asked and Rinoa looked over her shoulder at her.

"Well if I didn't, I don't think I'd be talking about it." She relaxed her position on the couch and allowed her legs to hang over the edge as she continued. "I met him last summer in Timber, right after I'd moved there. I was sixteen at the time, and it was the best time of my life."

Vaguely, he heard Selphie and Zell ask Rinoa where she'd moved from, but the raven haired girl wouldn't answer them. The conversation, however, couldn't have been further from his mind. Instead, he was thinking about each of the comments they had made about Seifer and, more importantly, of how quickly the elder cadet had become a memory.

A sudden thought crossed his mind and it made his insides turn cold. Would it always be like this? If someone died tomorrow, would the people who knew him talk like this about him or her? Saying whatever they wanted, using past tense in reference to the deceased without a care to what they thought? Would they say this stuff about _him_ if he died? Was _this _what death was like?

Squall clenched his hands into fists so tightly his arms shook from the pressure. Just because someone was dead didn't give anyone the right to say whatever they pleased just because they weren't around to stop it. It was just as bad as talking about someone behind their backs. His breathing increased and he didn't bother to stop it as something built up inside. It wasn't anger or rage, but it was just as stifling, just as suffocating. He swore then and there that it wasn't going to happen to him, not like this.

"Squall, what's wrong?" Quistis asked. There was an edge in her voice that suggested she'd been trying to get his attention for some time now. She was eyeing his fisted hands with something like apprehension on her expression.

"I _won't_ have it!" He suddenly shouted, not caring at all how manic he appeared. The volume of his voice caused his words to echo back at him despite the other occupants in the room. Zell, Selphie and Rinoa all jumped at the sound, the former falling off the couch and landing onto his backside.

"Are you angry?" Selphie asked, worry evident in her features. It was understandable. No one could know why he was acting like this. Not when he barely even knew.

"What're you talking about?" Zell asked as he picked himself off the floor.

"I _won't_ have anyone talk about me in the past tense!" Squall shouted, looking from each of them as though searching for an answer, an affirmation that they'd heard and understood what he was telling them. He received neither. "Not now, not ever!"

His legs moved without his volition. It was like being in the dream world again – being unable to control his movements and forced to depend on the story to make his decisions for him. Regardless, he knew he needed to get out of there, to get away and clear the fog that had filled his brain. So he left the room, their shouts of protest following him into the hall before they were cut off when the door closed.


	26. Chapter XXV: Black Box Operation

**Edited: **_02/05/09_

**Edited: **_06/07/10_

* * *

**Chapter XXV:  
Black Box Operation**

* * *

"Dude, what the _hell_ just happened?" Zell exclaimed after a moment of silence. By then, the door had already slid shut, blocking the Squad leader from view.

The sudden explosion had caught everyone off guard and no one had had any idea what Squall had been talking about before he'd practically ran out of the room. In all honesty, Rinoa would have asked that exact same question if Zell hadn't beaten her to it. Despite having only known him a few days, she'd seen the Squad leader as the more composed person of the group. Of course, he was a bit cold, but he had his priorities straight and could easily ensure that everyone remained on track when hit with a diversion. Squall was supposed to be the collected one, the one who would order them all to pick up the pieces if they fell apart.

He wasn't supposed to fall apart himself.

Seeing Squall of all people freak out like this just seemed so… wrong to her. It made her want to re-evaluate what she knew about this group. Unlike her, the four teenagers she was travelling with were from another world from hers altogether and it was something she was constantly forgetting, though she blamed it solely on their age group. It had been almost as clear as day the moment she'd met the initial SeeD team and, later, when Quistis joined them in their departure from Timber. It was becoming more and more clear that they weren't exactly the machines she'd made them out to be earlier. Of course, there were rules they had to follow, but they still bled like the rest of them and humans got upset if someone they knew died, regardless of what the deceased had done with their lives beforehand.

She should've known that SeeD was no different, but it made her wonder about their emotional training. Seifer had always told her that SeeDs were stone cold mercenaries, that nothing was ever supposed to be able to penetrate the shell they were forced to maintain during a mission. Their reactions regarding Seifer's death were so unlike what she'd expected, regardless of the things Squall had pointed out earlier.

It synched her suspicion that Garden might have sent her SeeD members who weren't exactly experienced in their field of expertise, at least, not yet anyway. But the thought didn't make her angry, far from it in fact. It calmed her down some to at least know that she was travelling with people with some semblance of humanity left, that they hadn't been desensitized to the point of becoming unfeeling.

Taking in the remaining SeeDs expressions, she could tell they just as shocked at their comrade's reaction as she was. "I guess he really _was_ angry," Selphie muttered under her breath. "Hope he's okay."

"Squall _was_ usually the one Seifer sparred with," Quistis said thoughtfully and Rinoa blinked in surprise. No one had thought to mention this information to her. Thinking back though, she remembered that he had seemed somewhat surprise when she'd told him Seifer had helped her get this mission accepted in the first place. Did that mean they were friends or something?

"He also drove him up the wall," Zell argued, propping his chin up with his right hand – which was propped up against his knee, answering Rinoa's unvoiced question. "When he wasn't picking on me, Seifer was _always_ picking fights with him, wasn't he?"

"Or annoying the rest of the staff," Quistis added almost as an afterthought. "But… I don't understand it myself, but some of it didn't seem like it was serious. Almost like they were brothers, I think."

"Wow… some brother," Selphie said as she flopped down on the couch beside Zell. "He left us all behind at the Communication Tower in Dollet at the mercy of that robot spider. If that's what siblings do to each other, then I'm _glad_ I'm an only child."

"Not to mention that scar…"

Rinoa couldn't hold her tongue anymore. "Wait, what scar?" When everyone gave her a dubious look she mentally slapped herself. She should have realized it would have been obvious. "You mean the one Squall has across his face?"

Zell nodded slowly. "Yeah, Seifer's the one who gave it to him. It happened during training, but if you ask me, he probably just lost it. The guy was always crazy when it came to that kinda sh—stuff," he edited himself after taking a glance over at Quistis.

Rinoa frowned thoughtfully. She had wondered where Squall had gotten that scar, even when she'd been at the Garden for that brief ball, but she hadn't thought to ask the question. Even while they had been in Timber, she'd had had plenty of time to ask him, but had been too concerned and involved with the Forest Owl's objective and getting out of Timber to be bothered to ask him.

Thinking about it for a second, she remembered seeing Seifer with a similar looking scar when she'd met him at the SeeD ball. She'd asked him in passing if he'd gotten into a fight, but now she realized just how on the mark that joke really had been. Eerily enough it was almost identical, but the difference was in the direction. If Rinoa was into symbolism, she would have thought it was supposed to resemble them being mirror opposites of one another. Or something to that effect. "So then Seifer's scar…?"

"Dunno," Zell replied with a verbal shrug. No doubt he'd figured out what her question was going to be. "But it wouldn't surprise me if Squall got a quick hit in."

Rinoa frowned thoughtfully. Everyone here was assuming that Seifer was the kind of guy to fly off the handle. Well, he _was_, but he wasn't entirely at fault in every situation. It was like he was some kind of plot device from some movie that the writers used at every convenient turn. 'Why'd he do that?' 'It's Seifer. Why does he need an excuse?'

"Were any of you there when it happened?" Rinoa asked suddenly. When the other three teenagers shook their heads in response, Rinoa nodded in satisfaction. "Then _why_ are you all assuming that Seifer did it first? I'll admit that he is the kind of guy to go out of control sometimes, but he isn't _that_ reckless."

Zell snorted, Quistis gave her a pitying look that she tried to cover with frustration and Selphie just looked confused. Rinoa's frown deepened at the sight. She was seriously starting to get angry now. "Well he _isn't_!"

"Who did you meet in Timber last year again?" Zell asked with a laugh. Apparently he thought the whole thing was funny. "We _are_ talking about Seifer Almasy, aren't we? Not to speak badly of the dead or anything, but he was the biggest asshole anyone in Garden had ever known, and most people only knew him through that reputation. It'd be just _like_ the guy to think carving a line in someone else's face was funny."

"But how do you know that _Squall_ didn't initiate it?" Rinoa asked heatedly. Apparently she wasn't going to get anywhere if the focus was pit on Seifer.

"Does Squall seem like the type of guy who'd go bat shit crazy and cut into someone's face?" Zell asked with a verbal shrug. "It's cuz the guy's way too calm all the time to do anything like that unless someone else provoked him first. And the only guy I know who could provoke a guy like Squall with any success is... _was _Seifer. It's kinda eerie if you think about it. The only time he _ever _loses it is when it comes to Seifer. Actually I don't think I've ever seen a dispute between them where it _didn't_ end with them fighting, and a lot of the time Seifer was the one who instigated it."

"Most people in the Garden regarded the two as rivals," Quistis jumped in when Zell started to ramble on. "And who could blame them? They got into fights all the time, they both decided to train with the same kind of weapon, and because of it they were the only ones they could properly train with."

"Yeah, but _brothers_?" Zell shuddered. "Creepy much?"

"But enough about that," Quistis said as she rose to her feet. "The announcement in Deling City may have cleared the path for us. In Timber they should be starting preparations to restart the trains. When that happens, we'll head back to Timber, you three will continue with your operation and I'll return to the Garden and give a full report to the Headmaster and the Lieutenant. In the meantime, if you want to explore the Garden you can."

"What do we do if we run into the Squad leader?" Selphie asked timidly. She had opted to stay silent while Rinoa had asked her questions.

"Act like nothing happened," Quistis answered and Rinoa frowned deeper in response. Quistis must've caught the look, because she sighed in exasperation. "It won't do us any good if we pester him about his explosion. If anything it'll make matters worse. If he wants to explain himself later, he will. That's just the kind of person he is."

Rinoa could see the doubt in her eyes as she said it, and it made her frown grow a little bit more. She wanted to know what his problem was. People talked about the dead in order to get over them all the time. She wanted to know why that was such a problem.

But at the probing look she received from the elder SeeD, she decided she would back down. For the meantime at least. "No problem. I can do that."

Quistis eyed her warily for a moment and Rinoa wondered if she was _that_ transparent, but the elder SeeD let it go. "Alright. We'll wait until sundown before meeting up again and then we'll decide what we'll do from there. Dismissed."

* * *

Squall had walked a little ways away from the room, not knowing where he was going but not caring that much either. He wanted to be alone to think, and he couldn't do that smothered by the people he'd just freaked out on. What he really needed was some breathing space, but he wasn't about to go beyond the borders of the Garden to get that.

What he'd give to have access to a Training Centre…

He reached a hall that opened up and entered a bridge that circled the circumference of the level while a large hole allowed him the view of the downstairs. He assumed, given the benches posted along the railing, that this was a popular lounging spot, but on the opposite side from where had entered was a room with a large door. He figured it was some kind of meeting hall, or maybe even a larger lecture room – Galbadia Garden was definitely bigger than Balamb and he wouldn't have been surprised if his assumption had been correct.

He was mindful to move towards the left, because the last thing he wanted was for the others to see him through the distorted glass window that Selphie was no doubt looking through. He leaned against the wall while ignoring the benches nearby, allowing the back of his head to hit the solid object behind him, resulting in a dull thud.

He didn't know what had come over him once the news about Seifer's fate had been delivered. He himself had been adamant that the cadet was mostly like killed for what he had done in front of millions of spectators, and had even pointed this out when Rinoa expressed her desire to learn that he was still alive. But from the moment he'd received confirmation of his suspicions, something inside had just snapped. All he could think about as he watched the others lament the loss of the blonde gunblader was what their thoughts of him would be like. Regardless of those answers, just the thought of them talking about him in such a way had bothered him immensely. He didn't know why it bothered him so much, but it was enough to know that it did.

He already knew how everyone had thought about Seifer when he'd still be alive and that included Rinoa. After hearing how she spoke of him both on the train and after he'd disappeared, Squall knew he'd have to have been an idiot not to put two and two together. Regardless of her kind words towards the troubled student, the rest of them knew the truth, that Seifer had been stuck up and arrogant, which wasn't exactly someone easy to get along with. He'd believed himself to be so good in fact, that normal rules and regulations didn't apply to him. Even now, no one knew where he'd gotten that thought, but it didn't exactly surprise anyone either. Squall kind of blamed it on the Headmaster's leniency when dealing with him, though he would never voice it aloud.

So why bother find reasons to like someone now that they were dead when you couldn't stand them while they'd been alive? It was a lie stirred up by regret and pity no matter how you looked at it and it wasn't a thought that appealed to him in the least bit.

He allowed his head to drop into his hands as his thoughts turned away from the subject and towards their next move. It was going to be awkward when he met up with the others again for the journey to... wherever it was they were going. Squall didn't have the slightest clue, since no one had even begun to think about that, probably due to the news they had just received. It was a discussion that had to be taken care of, sooner rather than later, and delaying it would probably only cause more problems for them in the long run.

Just when he had made up his mind, he heard someone call out to him from somewhere close by. The voice was familiar, and yet it didn't belong to any of his current travelling companions, so instead of ignoring it, he turned in the direction the sound had come from, only to be met with the figures of Fujin and Raijin as they turned the corner and onto the balcony proper. Raijin was wearing the same kind of purple vest and yellow beaded necklace as he'd last seen him, with a dark coloured pair of pants and boots while Fujin was in her customary blue uniform with an eye patch over her left eye.

When he took in their presence, his stomach sank even further. It looked like the duty of informing them of Seifer's passing had fallen to him by default. And he'd thought confronting the others about his earlier outburst was going to be awkward. This was more like sending him to the wolves than anything, and he suddenly resented himself for distancing himself from the others and putting himself into this predicament. Considering Fujin _still _blamed him for Seifer's failure in the Field Exam, he could just imagine what she would do if she found out he was dead, and while Raijin was more light-hearted, he still got angry, even if it did take something big to do it. Squall wasn't looking forward to his reaction either.

But as that thought crossed his mind, he realized what should've been the first thing he'd thought of, rather than how they would take the news of their friend passing. How exactly had they gotten all the way to the Garden? The trains in Timber were shut down – there shouldn't have been a way for them to have gotten there. More important than that was why they had come such a long way from Balamb in the first place. "What're you two doing here?"

"What? You're not happy to see us?" Raijin quipped. When Squall stared stony-faced at him, he shook his head and got down to business. "We're here on special business, ya know? Brought in new orders from Headmaster Kramer, ya know?"

_New orders?_ Squall thought in confusion. _Quistis didn't mention that she'd spoken to the Headmaster earlier. Maybe the Garden Master contacted him after speaking with her. _"What kind of orders?"

"Sorry Squall, can't tell ya," Raijin shook his head. "Some kinda top secret information." Squall gave him an exasperated look, at which point Raijin put his hands up in defence. "Oh c'mon, ya know? Don't be like that, ya know? _We're_ not even allowed to check it out and we're the messengers, ya know?"

Fujin nodded beside him, silent as always.

"We were just s'pose ta hand it over to the head honcho over here, ya know? Just finished doin' that. It's all the Headmaster wanted us ta do. Surprised he even let us out, knowing what we did in Balamb."

Squall frowned wondering what that meant. Raijin took in the look and answered the unspoken question. "Ya know how Seifer ended up in Timber and all that? That was kinda our fault, ya know? Fujin gave him a junction and he busted on outta the Garden. Told us ta let the officials know after a few minutes ta give him a head start." Raijin laughed good heartedly. "Always _did_ like a challenge, ya know?"

"How'd you get here?" Squall asked in an awkward attempt at changing the subject, even knowing that it was only delaying the bad news.

"That's the strange thing, ya know?" Raijin said, eager to explain. "We were originally s'pose ta head ta Timber for some reason, but the train's aren't working, so we took the boat ta Dollet and then came right over here. Headmaster changed his mind when he found out about the trains bein' shut down and said it'd be better to hand the message to the Garden Master here, ya know? Really weird if ya ask me, ya know?"

_But _we_ were stationed in Timber... does this mean...?_ "Were the instructions meant for the team stationed in Timber?"

Raijin shrugged, but gave Squall a knowing look. "Maybe. Like I said, I'm just the delivery guy, ya know? But if it _was_ for your team, you'll know what you're doin' sooner or later, ya know?"

Beside him, Fujin cleared her throat and finally said something that made Squall's stomach sink even further. "SEIFER."

"Yeah, that's right," Raijin said and Squall's stomach sank even more. "Seifer went to Timber to find you guys, after all. He's here with you, right? Probably boastin, 'bout how much better he is or somethin', ya know? Did he do what he set out to do?"

Squall decided that there was no good way to break this to them, so there was no reason to keep them in suspense. "We have information that tells us Seifer is dead."

Fujin made a small noise that sounded as though she'd gasped, Squall couldn't be sure, but when neither cadet made any comments or movements to indicate that the interruption would continue, he gathered himself to speak. "Due to an incident that took place in Timber, he was apprehended by Galbadian Forces. There was an announcement that said he'd been executed by the officials already."

The shock in Fujin's features gave way to fury. For a second, Squall thought she was going to either hit him or Raijin, but instead she managed to compose herself, though the fury was still there. "LIES."

And just before she could provide Squall's mental inquiry of just who was going to get hurt, Raijin began to laugh outright. Fujin stared at him mutinously, but what he said next surprised the SeeD. "Yeah, right!" He snorted as he continued to laugh. "Like Seifer would _ever_ put up with some stupid trial let alone an execution, ya know? If anything, he'd take the whole bunch of 'em out for even considering it. It's just not like him, ya know? Can't believe _you_ of all people bought into it, ya know? Must've been a convincing announcement, but ya gotta face facts, there's no _way_ he's dead."

"FIND." Fujin said suddenly, as though she'd come to the same conclusion.

"Yeah, we're gonna head on over to Deling City and look for Seifer there, ya know?" Raijin said. "Betcha anything he's laying low somewhere, ya know? Though it's probably killin' him ta do even that, ya know? We'll meet up with him and then we'll meet back up with you guys and _prove_ that it was all just for show."

And before Squall could muster the thought of trying to stop them, the pair turned around and ran back in the direction they'd come. Left staring after them, Squall assumed they were taking the stairs down and leaving the Garden, probably bowling over people as they got in their way. The mental image didn't amuse him any, and he wondered briefly if there was any possibility that they were right. Could Seifer really be hiding out in Deling waiting for the heat to cool down before he made his way back into the spot light? Everything they had pointed out had been true. Seifer just wasn't the kind of person to take an execution without any form of resistance.

It seemed plausible enough, Seifer was definitely a showman, but he never liked waiting. Squall's thoughts went back to the Field Exam in Dollet, where they'd guarded the Central Square before encountering the Galbadians. Seifer had grown more and more agitated as the time had passed without an enemy sighting until he'd finally thrown a fit about being bored.

When he added that information to the knowledge of Deling's desire for vindication after both the attempted kidnapping and the disastrous broadcast in Timber, the chances of Seifer having survived his encounter with the Galbadians seemed even more unlikely. If Deling couldn't have his war with the Garden, then there was no way Seifer wouldn't have become the scapegoat. He'd personally been the one to hold the President at knife point and everyone had seen his face to boot. There was just no way Squall could fathom that Deling would've let the alteration slide, least of all if he hadn't received something in return.

It definitely didn't look good for Seifer. Everyone had said it would happen, but it looked like the cadet had finally messed with someone who decided he was going to push back. Even worse for him was the fact that Headmaster Kramer wasn't here to pull him out of the thick of it this time.

With those reasons and logic behind his thinking, Squall wondered how the duo would take the news when they realized Seifer wasn't anywhere to be found. He could imagine that they would be devastated. The so-called invincible Seifer Almasy having been silenced once and for all was a very surreal notion in his own mind, but the pair would take it even harder, probably even more so than Rinoa had. It wasn't exactly something he would want to be present for, despite the inevitability of it all.

He was cold, but he wasn't _that_ cold.

But despite all of that, he turned his thoughts to the convenient distraction that Raijin had gifted him with before the pair's sudden departure. It seemed very unlikely that the message had been sent to anyone else if it had originally been intended to reach Timber. As far as Squall was aware, he, Selphie and Zell had been the only ones stationed in the occupied train town, and if he was correct in his assumption then, like Raijin had said, they would find out soon enough.

* * *

With nothing else to do but kill time, Squall was left wandering about Galbadia Garden and taking in the sights, wanting to stay as far away from the waiting room as possible. The outside of the Garden hadn't been exaggerating its huge exterior and was definitely much bigger than Balamb. The ceilings were higher, the decorations more intricate and elegant and, best of all, it was quieter. The quiet was something Squall especially liked about this place. The hustle and bustle and constant drama between the students at Balamb Garden were just incessant headaches to him.

Though he'd found out the reason for the quiet upon taking in the sight of a notice board along the wall in the hallway he'd been passing. According to the list of rules and regulations, silence was to be maintained at all times on campus, with the exception of classes. Even whispering was prohibited. He wasn't sure he liked the rule, despite the lack of conversations he participated in. It was simply a testament to the strict discipline the Garden possessed.

Because traditionally Galbadia Garden graduates were placed in favourable positions (not just limited to the Galbadian military), large donations were made to ensure the added prestige and preferential condition of its students. Squall didn't disbelieve this, for just one look at this Garden was a testimony to where the money came from. From what he'd learned while wandering the place, there were other extracurricular activities that the smaller Garden's lacked, mostly due to size. The campus had a hockey team that competed with numerous schools in the other cities and towns that build up the Galbadian republic and the building itself possessed more space for bigger basketball courts and soccer fields. In addition, there was a track that seemed to surround the entire circumference of the school and, from what'd he overheard from a couple of students passing by, a swimming pool in the basement.

He'd considered going outside and waiting out there for who knew how long, but in the end he decided against it. If the Garden officials made some kind of announcement on the Public Address system, he doubted he'd be able to hear it outdoors. So with nothing else to do, he continued his wanderings, limiting himself to inside the building.

It was only after another hour of just mindless wandering that he finally heard from the system address. A message sounded clearly across the Garden that the visiting party from Balamb was to report to the Front Gate for further briefing.

Grateful that despite its size it was relatively easy to navigate, Squall managed to find his way back to the turnstiles quickly. His brisk stride slowed to a walk however when he spotted Quistis standing there waiting for him. Just the sight of the former instructor told him that the others were already at the meeting site.

"The others are already waiting," Quistis confirmed his assumption, saying nothing about his earlier outburst. It was an action that he was rather grateful for. "We should probably hurry. The Garden Master could be there any minute."

Together they walked along the path, and near the very end of the stretch of land that was Garden property Squall saw Zell pacing impatiently, Selphie crouching and playing with her fingernails and Rinoa sitting on one of the walls, stretching her legs out. Quistis moved past Squall and went to join Zell in his pacing.

"We've been waiting for ten minutes now," Zell complained loudly. "How the _fuck _can they get away with making us wait all fucking day when _they_ called _us_ out here?"

Rinoa looked up at the sound of an engine coming from behind and said, "I think that's him now."

Sure enough, she was right. Heading in their direction was a yellow and blue car riding down the path that led from what Squall assumed to be their parking garage. Quistis, Zell and Selphie took notice of it as well and immediately fell into an attentive stance. Squall went to do the same, but he heard Rinoa call him from behind. Wearily, he turned to look at her and watched as she jumped off from the wall.

"Can you do me a small favour?" She asked brightly. "Just pretend I'm a SeeD like you guys are. It'll be less complicated for everyone that way. Please?"

Squall hadn't even thought of the possibility of Rinoa joining them in whatever they had to do, but he also supposed she was their original client. Still, he wondered if it'd be a good idea to let her tag along, but the car pulled to a stop a few feet away and he didn't have any time to argue. Rinoa was watching him intently and finally he just grunted in response and moved to join the others, Rinoa doing the same.

All five teenagers stood at attention, though Rinoa did so a little awkwardly as the driver climbed out from the vehicle. He was a tall individual with short blonde hair that had been slicked back into a professional style, and dressed in a navy blue overcoat with gold trimming (it reminded Squall of the cadet uniforms at Balamb Garden). He wore black pants and a pair of black dress shoes, his hands covered in black gloves. The Garden Master was a stark contrast to the Headmaster, who tended to look more like a college professor than the head of the mercenary group. This man who stood before them looked like he'd held some prestige in the military. Squall couldn't help but wonder if that was a part of the reason behind the numerous donations to the school.

Everyone saluted the man who stood before them. From his right Rinoa acted noticeably slower than the rest of them. Squall wasn't so sure she was convincing anyone, but fortunately the other three didn't say anything about it.

Surprisingly enough neither did the Garden Master. He stood in front of them positioning his hands behind his back in the same way Headmaster Kramer would do before addressing them. "Good day. For those of you who don't know me, I am the Garden Master, Joseph Martine. I have called you all here because I have received new orders addressed to you from Headmaster Kramer of Balamb Garden. Following standard protocol, I have gone over these orders myself with other authorized personnel and, after careful consideration of our options, we have decided to cooperate fully with your operation. To be honest, our own personnel have been organizing a similar mission to this affect for some time now."

Squall frowned thoughtfully. Did this mean that the Garden Master was pooling his own resources to back their group? Whatever this mission was, Master Martine appeared almost relieved to wash his hands of it. The SeeD was beginning to think that there was something no one was exactly keen on telling them.

"In order to stress the importance of this mission," the Garden Master continued. "I must first brief you of the details of our current situation. At ease."

Squall visibly relaxed, as did the others, including Rinoa. She seemed to have understood what that meant at least. "As you all know, the Sorceress has just been appointed as the ambassador to represent the Galbadian Government at the peace talks. However, this ambassador title is merely a set up, a ploy. There will be no peace talks, only threats and Deling hopes that the presence of the Sorceress will intimidate the other nations to fall aside and do as he pleases. Obviously this ploy will succeed if left unchecked. The Sorceress causes fear amongst people due to the actions of Sorceresses in the past. It is also quite clear that Deling – and Galbadia's – ultimate goal is world domination.

"This, unfortunately, also includes Garden. In fact, Galbadia Garden has a personal stake in this mission, since the Sorceress has plans to utilize it as her personal base. Because of her power and sway, we have very little options available to us. With this mission, we all have everything to gain and to lose, so failure is _not_ an option. Therefore, we entrust this mission, world peace and the future, to the five of you."

Once again everyone saluted the Garden Master (Rinoa slow on the uptake) before dropping back into an attentive stance. "Details of the official mission are enclosed in this envelope."

Master Martine stepped forward and held the envelope out, as though expecting someone to take it. After a moment, Squall realized that the elder man expected him to do so and was surprised by this as he'd assumed Quistis would have been handed the envelope. Awkwardly he took the object before pulling open the fold and skimming over the orders, frowning as he took in the words. He could tell the others wanted to know what they were, but they didn't dare to turn away from Master Martine. The man's presence alone seemed to demand respect, and promise extreme punishment for those who denied him it.

"You will board the train just outside of the Garden that will take you to Galbadia's capital," Master Martine said. "There, you will meet with someone who already knows of the mission, and he will brief you on the specifics. Any questions?"

Squall reached a part in the mission statement that confused him right at that moment. "According to this," he held up the documents, "we're to execute this mission by 'means of a sniper'." He quoted the last part from the files. "But we have no one with that skill."

From his right, Rinoa shifted. He could tell that she was watching him. Everyone would know what he meant soon enough.

"That's not a problem," Master Martine said. "We expected something along those lines and have already taken steps to cover that aspect. I assure you that he is our best and brightest in that department."

He turned to where Rinoa had been sitting moments before his arrival and raised his voice, directing his attention in that direction. "Kinneas. Irvine Kinneas."

At first, Squall didn't see anyone, but after a moment a figure rose up from the grass beyond the wall, seemingly having been laying there during the entire exchange. He was wearing a long beige trench coat that reached up to his calf and his long auburn coloured hair was tied back into a low ponytail. On top of his head was a black cowboy hat and in his left hand was what looked to be a double barrelled shotgun. He turned around to face them all, tipped the brim of his hat forward with his index and middle finger and sauntered on over.

The youth appeared to be the polar opposite of the Garden Master. Where Martine embodied everything that was bread from the military, Irvine appeared far more relaxed, even more so than the student populace. He wore a pair of brown jeans and a purple vest, and a hip holster attached to his belt. Dark brown boots reached his mid thigh, completing the look of a cowboy. His hair was far too long to be regulation (most of the guys he'd passed by the halls were sporting cropped cuts that were pristine and almost reminded the SeeD of a well-kept hedge in someone's yard) and just the way he walked would have had drill sergeants screaming and demeaning the whole squad for the lack of foresight. How he'd managed to stay at the Garden long enough to be an expert was beyond him. Unless Martine took to Irvine as the Headmaster had taken to Seifer.

Somehow though, taking in the man's appearance, he doubted that to be fact, but kept his speculation and observations to himself. After all, he wouldn't be able to tell whether the sharpshooter would be an asset to the mission simply by looking at him.

The tall male paced in front of each of them, staring at them all appraisingly. Squall almost felt as though he were a child being inspected by an instructor all over again and didn't much care for it, frowning reflexively in response. Beside him, Rinoa nudged at his arm to get his attention but he ignored her.

"This is Irvine Kinneas," Master Martine explained. From the corner of his eye, he caught Rinoa scrunching up her face in disapproval. She apparently didn't like being told something she already knew, having heard the elder man call for him seconds ago. "He will be acting as your sharpshooter. I'll leave you to get acquainted, but head out as soon as you're ready, the sooner the better."

Master Martine turned away from them and headed back to his car. As he climbed in, Irvine turned sharply, stretched out is arm and extended his index finger, his thumb pointed upwards and made a jerking movement, as though firing a gun. "Bang!" He shouted, but the Garden Master didn't take any notice as he drove away.

Squall wondered fleetingly whether or not Irvine just had guns on the mind and he still couldn't figure out whether or not he would be an asset or a problem. He seemed to be just as arrogant as Seifer, but thankfully not as loud or boisterous. Judging by the look on Zell's face, Squall was willing to wager money that the sharpshooter would prove to be the latter and he sighed in exasperation, silently willing the brawler not to start anything.

"So," Irvine drawled, turning back to face them. His voice was deep and thick with an East Galbadian accent. "Guess I'm workin' with you rubes from Balamb."

Zell clenched his fists menacingly and his face formed a scowl. Squall frowned, mentally asking himself why the brawler took everything so damned seriously.

Irvine's back was to the shorter SeeD, so he paid him no mind. "Ya'll cool workin' with someone like me?"

"That depends on your attitude," Squall stated evenly, folding his arms across his chest as he spoke.

"I tend ta say thangs that'll get a rise outta folks," Irvine drawled with a shrug. "Just don't take it ta heart, and we'll get along fine."

Squall looked between Irvine – who was a few inches taller than he was – and over towards Zell, who's scowl had grown deeper. After a moment's deliberation the brawler sucked his teeth and started pacing again.

Squall made a mental note not to pair those two up together.

"So..." Quistis said, breaking up the tense atmosphere. "What's our next mission?"

Squall frowned, knowing that the others weren't going to like this. He knew _he _didn't, but at the same time, it wasn't really up to them what their missions were. Zell stopped pacing in order to listen in while the others gathered closer to him. "This is no ordinary mission," he started. "As the Garden Master already explained, this mission is under the orders of both Balamb and Galbadia Garden. Because we are representing both Gardens, it is imperative for us to succeed, regardless of what we have to do."

"Which is...?" Zell urged on.

Squall took a deep breath and sighed before answering. "Our mission is to assassinate the Sorceress."

Selphie and Rinoa gasped. Quistis started, and Zell cursed. Irvine alone seemed not to react, a surprise in itself. Either he was trained enough to keep a relaxed composure and avoid shock or he wasn't taking the situation seriously at all. Squall decided to keep both options in mind as he continued. "We're to be briefed by the Galbadian Military General, Ibrihim Caraway," he was careful not to look at Rinoa, as her resistance faction was against the Galbadian military and government, "but I have the gist of the plan here," he gestured with the envelope in hand. "We're to shoot her from afar, and our job is to support Kinneas to the fullest of our capabilities. Should the sniper fail, we're to attack in a full on assault."

"Thanks for the support and all," Irvine interrupted calmly. "But I _never_ miss a mark."

"Then there shouldn't a problem," Squall responded calmly. Zell snickered at the sharpshooter's expense as the Squad leader turned to address them all once again. "If everyone is ready, we can leave for Deling City immediately. It shouldn't take us very long to get there."

"In that case, might I make a suggestion?" Irvine asked. Squall didn't say anything and Irvine seemed to take the Squad leader's silence as an invitation to continue. "We might wanna head on over ta tha train station in groups. It'll look mighty suspicious if we all just pile in at once. How's about I go along with these two," Irvine gestured towards Selphie and Rinoa, who exchanged glances. "While you three," he indicated Squall, Quistis and Zell, "meet us there. It's not that far off, so y'all shouldn't get lost."

Squall frowned as Quistis and Zell exchanged glances. Judging by how the two girls were looking at each other, neither seemed very thrilled with the idea. It didn't really matter all that much to him, so long as they reached the station and got to Deling. While Rinoa was the client, Selphie was more than capable with defending her should they get attacked by any of the monsters in the area. If there were any that is.

He shrugged in response to the suggestion. "Have a good time," he added sarcastically and went to set off.

"Are you being sarcastic?" Selphie asked, and the tone of her voice startled the Squad leader into stopping. The diminutive SeeD actually sounded outraged, and the response surprised him as he'd never really seen or heard her get so angry before. Squall turned to regard her curiously, wondering what the problem was. Her face turned an angry shade of red when he didn't answer. "You _are,_ aren't you?"

He still didn't answer and she huffed in frustration, turning her back on him as she said, "Well fine! We _will_ have a good time." She threw a scathing look at him from over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out at him before returning to gaze ahead of her.

"Yeah," Rinoa said with an equally scathing look in his direction. "We understand perfectly."

The raven haired girl turned her nose up into the air before walking over towards the sharpshooter and linking her arm into his. "C'mon, Mr. Kinneas, let's go already."

Squall raised an eyebrow in confusion. He was at a complete loss as to why they were acting like this. Sure they hadn't looked thrilled, but he couldn't understand what the big deal was. It wasn't like he'd told them to hike all the way to the Capital while his team took the train.

Irvine on the other hand appeared to lavish the attention and he grinned back at her, tipping his had forward with his free hand. "Please, dahlin'. Call me 'Irvine'. Though I must say," he regarded Rinoa for a moment before turning his sights onto Selphie and Squall realized that he was actually checking them out. "I'm a very _very_ lucky man. Hand in hand with two beautiful women such as yourselves."

Unbeknown to Irvine, Rinoa threw a dark look in Squall's direction, as though all of this was _his_ fault.

_Did... I say something horrible?_ He wondered to himself in befuddlement as she redirected her gaze to Irvine. He sighed in exasperation, resisting the urge to throw his hands up into the air. _I just don't understand women sometimes._

"Oh Irvy Kinnepoo!" Selphie exclaimed, linking her arm at his other side and almost tackling him in the action. "I'll take care of you!"

And the three of the sauntered off away from the Garden, heading to the train station without another look back.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Quistis said in a tone that said she was glad she wasn't on his team.

"Irvine Kinneas," Zell snorted before raising his hand, extending his index finger and thumb in the form of an 'L' on his forehead. "Loser!"

After a moment, Quistis grinned mischievously before grabbing Squall's arm, startling the teenager as she said, "C'mon Squall, we'd better get going."

Zell took no notice of this however. He ran over to where the road to the Garden ended and shouted over his shoulder, "Let's go already! We gotta beat that loser to the station!"

And he ran off along the dirt path, leaving his two team-mates behind.

_All of you,_ Squall thought to himself irritably, _Grow up!_

* * *

As Irvine had predicted, the station platform wasn't very far from the Garden. It only took a half hour's trek to reach it. Like the one at East Academy Station, this one had stairs winding up to the very top most platforms, with benches along the way for travellers to wait for the train's arrival. The personnel sold them their tickets and they boarded the train.

Squall was surprised to find that they had been the first to arrive. He'd expected Irvine's team to get there before them since they'd had a head start. Still, they had a moment's peace at least and he was perfectly fine with being able to enjoy it.

Like with the train from Balamb to Timber, there was a cabin reserved for Garden personnel. All they had to do was prove they were from Galbadia Garden on business and they were quickly shown where to go. Along with the documents detailing their mission, Squall had discovered a letter with what he assumed was the Garden Master's signature and seal on the bottom. He'd shown the documentation to the conductor and that had been all he'd needed to do. After receiving the key they would need as well as directions on how to get there, Quistis stayed behind to show the others the way while Zell and Squall made their way to the cabin.

The first thing he did when he reached the respective room was insert his train ticket into the slot next to the door. The automated mechanism beeped three times before the door unlocked. His previous experiences on a train with Selphie had not been pleasant. First, on the trip to Timber he had been stared at to death by the pair of his team, and due to the fact that the train headed to the East Academy station had had no private cabin for them to occupy, Selphie had been loud in her complaints as they'd entered. It'd been a miracle they hadn't been stopped by the soldiers as a result. Unlocking the door now would save him from the headache that would ensure later should he leave the contraption locked and secured.

Zell moved over towards the window - probably to keep an eye out for the others and Squall leaned against the wall next to the door with his arms folded across his chest. He figured the train was going to disembark soon, and wondered how much longer they would have to wait for the others to arrive.

A couple of minutes had passed before Irvine, Selphie and Rinoa finally arrived following after Quistis. While Irvine made himself comfortable in front of the door and Rinoa and Quistis leaned against the wall to the left of the ticket slot, Selphie instantly stood in front of the door, shifting her weight impatiently. Knowing exactly what she was waiting for, Squall purposely ignored the imploring glances she shot at him every few seconds. It wasn't until she started hoping on the spot when the door slid open for her, allowing her access. She whirled around, his previous 'criminal act' forgotten as she beamed in his direction. "You caught on!"

And without another word, she sped down the hall, no doubt to look out the window once again.

Rinoa stood across from Quistis and both women exchanged knowing looks. No doubt Rinoa was beginning to regret her previous actions towards the sharpshooter, as she'd apparently bitten off more than she could chew. The look on her face said it all and Squall managed to hide the subtle smirk he felt creep along his features and kept his head turned away as a result.

A moment later, the entrance door shut itself and the train cabin shook. They were disembarking for their destination from the feel of it and the conductor's announcement across the loud speaker confirmed his suspicions. Rinoa suddenly laughed before remarking that this train was the only one headed from Galbadia Garden to Deling City, which caused Quistis and Zell to laugh along with her. Squall and Irvine seemed to be the only ones who didn't see what was so funny about that.

About a few minutes into the ride, Irvine sighed suddenly. This drew Squall's attention from the others. The sharpshooter muttered something about fate and moved into the compartment ahead, the door closing shut behind him.

The instant the door was closed, Zell huffed in what appeared to be pent up frustration. "So what exactly are we gonna do about _him_?"

Rinoa huffed as well. "He kept hitting on me _and_ Selphie along the way. It was so _horrible_! All those double-entendres were really starting to piss me off. And he was using the _corniest_ comments I've ever heard in my life! It was like getting hit on in third grade all over again!"

She whirled around on Squall, as though expecting him to fix everything all at once. "You should go check on Selphie. See if she's okay."

"Why?" Squall asked in confusion. "Selphie's a big girl. She can take care of herself."

"There're tons of reasons," Rinoa shot back. "Firstly, you're the leader. You're the one who makes sure the team is working harmoniously."

He looked over towards Zell and Quistis, hoping they might help him. Zell was staring intently out the window and Quistis seemed to have discovered something interesting in the ceiling above their heads. Squall knew they were doing this on purpose and scowled at them in response. He didn't see why _he_ was the one being blasted at.

"And most importantly," Rinoa continued, "_you're_ the one who stuck the both of us with him in the first place. What did we _ever_ do to you to deserve that kind of torture?"

Squall's scowl deepened, but when he went to argue, Rinoa cut him off. "And anyways, why are you wasting time arguing with me when you could be dealing with that guy in the first place? Get going already!"

Rolling his eyes, Squall pushed himself up from his leaning position before making his way to the door and following Irvine into the adjacent compartment. He convinced himself that it was his duty as the Squad leader rather than because Rinoa had told him to. If it would get her to shut up it'd be a bonus.

He didn't have to go very far, however. He stopped just after passing through the door, and heard the mechanical hiss as it shut behind him. At the far end of the train, Selphie was leaning over the railing of the train, while Irvine was towering over her. The diminutive SeeD seemed like she was trying her level best to ignore the sharpshooter and Squall wondered how long that was going to last.

"C'mon, Selphie," Irvine was saying, "I'm ain't _that_ bad! We're destined ta be tagetha."

"Yeah, right," Selphie said, rolling her eyes in his direction. "And I'm a chirping Chocobo."

She laughed nervously before taking a deep breath and sighing. She focussed as hard as she could on the window in front of her.

Irvine sighed as well, almost as though he were imitating her. "A sigh of love."

Selphie whirled around on him, balling her fists and stomping her feet. She was visibly shaking. "N-no! No means _no_!" She stammered, attempting to sound stern.

Irvine looked past Selphie and seemed to notice Squall for the first time. Noting that he had been discovered, he folded his arms across his chest and arched an eyebrow as he took in the sharpshooter. "Is there a problem here?"

The sharpshooter tipped his hat in his direction. "None at all," he said before he walked past Selphie. Squall knew he was standing in the way, but he figured it'd be a good idea to deal with the situation before it escalated.

"We're going to be working together on this mission, so I'll trust you'll make an attempt to prevent any difficulties amongst the team in the future?" He asked, making his point clear.

"Don't you worry none, Mr. Leader," Irvine said cordially. Squall got a mental flashback of Seifer at the television station before he focused his attention towards the taller sharpshooter. "I'll be on mah best behaviour. Pardon me," he added, gesturing with his hand as though to inform Squall he was in his way.

After a moment's deliberation, Squall moved aside, keeping his eye on the sharpshooter as he continued towards the exit. It wasn't until the door closed that he turned his attention towards Selphie. She was shaking somewhat, probably from whatever exchange she'd had with Irvine. He decided that it was probably a good idea to check on her. "Are you alright?"

Selphie jumped at the sound of his voice before nodding furiously and turning her attention back to the window. "Yeah, I'm okay, Squall. Really I am," she added. It sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than him.

Knowing that she was far from alright, Squall sighed before moving over to stand next to her. He leaned forwards as though he were looking out at the landscape that was passing them by and wondered what her fascination with windows was; especially given their barren surroundings. He didn't say anything, but stared at her from the corner of her eye. It made her fidget with her finger nails before she finally huffed in frustration. "Okay, _maybe_ I'm not completely okay…"

Squall sighed in exasperation and allowed his gaze to shift down to the floor. He could feel Selphie staring at him. "_Why'd _you have to go and put me and Rinoa with him anyway?"

When he didn't answer, she slapped him on the shoulder. It wasn't hard, but it was meant to prove a point. "You are _such_ a _meanie_!" She stuck her tongue at him.

"You're avoiding the question."

Selphie sighed before turning her attention back to the window. "I dunno. He was just flirting and it shouldn't have bothered me, but it kinda did. Guys flirt with me all the time, and I flirt back, but it just kind of caught me off guard. My heart's _still_ kinda pounding a million beats per minute."

"If it was, you'd be dead right now," Squall quipped. Selphie hit him again.

"Not literally, dummy," Selphie whined, but he could tell she was feeling a bit better. "Uh… wait… do I get demoted if I hit my Squad leader?"

She looked at him with a sheepish grin that pleaded that the answer was no. Squall sighed, ignoring her question. "You're probably just feeling nervous. It's a big mission after all, and after the disaster in Timber… well, never mind." Squall shrugged in response, not really knowing what to say. "But you're going to have to get used to dealing with the pressure while you still can. You're not going to be a rookie all your life. It'll probably get better."

"Yeah, I know…" Selphie said before sighing. "You're probably right though. I mean, killing a Sorceress is super _huge_! I mean huger than kidnapping Deling. Even if we botch it, it's still gonna by insanely huge! Hey, do you think we'll get added to the history books?"

"You'd better hope not," Squall answered. "The only reason they'd know who was responsible was if we get caught, regardless of whether or not we succeeded. Garden operates on anonymity. We wouldn't get another mission if the whole world knew our identities should they learn we were responsible."

"Yeah, I didn't think so either," Selphie laughed. "But seriously, I cannot _wait_ to get back to Garden. Yeah, there's still more training, but I've been neglecting the Garden Festival." She nudged him in the arm with her elbow. "I wonder what the world would think if they knew that two of the Sorceress' would-be-assassins were volunteers for the Garden Festival…"

"Selphie," Squall said in a warning tone. Selphie laughed again.

"Nah, just kidding. Don't worry," she said when he scowled in her direction. "I'm _not_ gonna tell anyone. Though it'd be awesome blackmail material."

Before Squall could say anything in response, there was a loud sound coming from the compartment they'd seen Irvine enter. Exchanging puzzled glances between each other, Squall and Selphie made their way back to the compartment, if only to see what had happened.

What they saw when the door opened wasn't at all what either of them had expected. Rinoa was hiding behind Quistis who looked like she was itching to reach for her chain whip while Zell was standing in an aggressive crouch that seemed to suggest he was ready to attack someone. Standing in front of them (which his back turned to their new audience) was Irvine, who was shrugging in his defence.

Squall wondered what had caused that loud sound and saw a dent in the wall next to where Zell was standing. "And that'll be _you_ if you don't back the fuck off!" The brawler roared.

"That's enough!" Quistis snapped. From the looks of it, she'd had enough. Her tone of voice was the same one she'd use whenever she was breaking up one of Squall and Seifer's skirmishes. "Zell, knock it off, you're not a child who can get away with breaking things when he gets angry. Irvine, you are playing a _very_ important role in this mission, but that does _not_ give you the right to treat people any which way you want! _Both_ of you, behave yourselves or so help me Hyne…"

The former instructor allowed the sentence to trail off as she struggled with her own temper. Beside him, Selphie mouthed the words 'uh-oh' but Squall didn't comment. He was not looking forward to find out what happened, but he knew it was his job.

However, before he could say anything, Irvine shook his head and cut him off. "You guys just don't understand."

_Terrific. A pity party,_ Squall thought as he slapped himself in the forehead.

"You see, sharpshooters like me, we're loners by nature. Honing our instincts, pouring our whole being into a single bullet. The pressure of the moment, an instant of tension, all of it. It's a feeling no one ever experiences. _That_," he stressed the word, "is what I've gotta face on my own. And it sure as hell ain't easy. So like," he whirled around to face them. His expression was masked and preventing any emotion from leaking through. "Just do me a favour, and leave me be. Ya'll catch my drift?"

In response, Zell slammed his fist into the floor of the train. Fortunately he didn't punch a hole through the wood, but the action was enough to cause the whole cabin to vibrate. Moments later, the conductor announced for everyone's benefit that no one had been hurt due to the minor vibration.

Leaning against the wall, Squall's head dropped forward and he sighed. It was going to be a _very_ long trip to Deling City.


	27. Chapter XXVI: Tomb of the Unknown King

**Edited:** _03/08/09_

**Edited:** _06/12/10_

* * *

**Chapter XXVI:  
The Tomb of the Unknown King**

* * *

The rest of the train ride had been blissfully quiet, save for the constant sound of the train rattling along the tracks. It appeared that no one had anything left to say amongst each other, at least for the meantime, after the exchange and, while it had been quiet, the silence was filled with tension.

As per his request, Irvine was left relatively alone, though with the way he leaned against the wall with his hat tipped low, Squall could almost imagine that he was sulking. If he was, he was mercifully less noticeable than the brawler when he fell into one of his sullen silences. Regardless, Squall was less than impressed. If the sharpshooter couldn't learn to get along with the rest of the team (or at least keep his mouth shut) then he couldn't see this mission progressing at all let alone smoothly. The thought bothered him immensely, knowing that the Timber mission had been a complete disaster. They had to get their acts together, they were supposed to kill a Sorceress and petty squabbles would only get in the way. They couldn't afford it.

The conflict having resolved itself (though from the looks of it, only temporarily), Selphie had wandered back to the front of their cabin and had resumed her window gazing. She seemed to have calmed down some after being harassed by the Galbadian sharpshooter, and was none the worse for it. It was the last he had seen of her, and he doubted she would start any trouble in the near future (or at least, he hoped). Zell had turned his back on Irvine, telling all around him of his dislike of the sharpshooter and had settled into a pensive and annoyed silence as he stared out the window. Irvine appeared not to be bothered by the display of body languages.

For a while after the outburst, Rinoa and Quistis had attempted to hold a conversation but in the end had given it up as a lost cause. Like Selphie at the front of the train, Rinoa was gazing out the window beside Zell while Quistis stood leaning against the wall, arms folded across her chest and a vacant expression in her features. It seemed as though the former instructor was lost in her thoughts.

By the time they arrived at Deling City three hours later, Squall found that he was thankful for the silent reprieve. From the documents he'd looked over thoroughly during the trip, he knew there was still a week before the mission was to take place, which left them plenty of time to prepare. Despite the importance of the assassination, he couldn't help but look forward to it all, since the initial briefing and the mission itself was bound to be much better organized than the Forest Owls had been.

Just thinking about it conjured up the unwanted image of the three lead members of the pitiful resistance faction squatting down and huddled in a corner going over strategy. He shook his head in response, wondering just what the hell had they been thinking? And Rinoa had wondered why he hadn't taken any of them seriously. If she could see firsthand what a _real _briefing to an operation looked like, perhaps that'd make her realize how dumb and frivolous her resistance had seemed at first look.

As they got disembarked from the train, the group of six moved away from the boarding platform, taking in their surroundings. Squall himself couldn't have felt more like some slack-jawed country boy who was coming into the big city for the first time, and the irritation that had left him throughout the trip from Galbadia Garden was suddenly back, though not at full force. Attempting to compose himself as much as physically possible, he took in their surroundings and discovered that the station was located underground, the ceiling above so high up he could barely make it out.

As they manoeuvred their way around the place, Squall took note that there were stairs everywhere and directories were plastered all over the walls, accompanied by the directional pads that directed people to their destinations. It all appeared very confusing. Selphie had attempted to read one when they'd first made the discovery but the diminutive SeeD had given it up for lost after a full minute of trying to decipher their location against the exit of the station.

Surprisingly, it had been Rinoa who had navigated them to the streets just outside the station. She'd led them up a set of stairs that had led them to the concourse level, manoeuvring through the throngs of people who were pushing past each other in order to get to their unique destinations. They had all been so shocked by this discovery, or so it seemed, because Quistis had asked her about it. Rinoa's response was even more surprising, because she's revealed almost uncaringly that while she was a Timber citizen, she was originally from this city.

Despite how nonchalant she had seemed, there had been something in the response that had put Squall off guard. He wasn't sure exactly what it was, but all the same he'd prevented the former instructor from asking more questions, believing that it would add to the tension. They didn't have the time (and he didn't have the energy) to deal with it. Besides, if it was personally then it wasn't their business. If it was important enough, Rinoa would tell them all in good time, or so he hoped.

Though he made mental note himself to ask her about it later as he hoped it had nothing to do with the current mission. He wasn't sure why he was curious, though it nagged at him in the back of his mind like an itch that needed to be scratched and it was enough to know that it was there.

As they rode the escalators out into the front of the train station, Squall couldn't help but compare what he was seeing now to that of the dream world. As he could recall, Laguna had lived here at some point and had wound up at the city's hotel, which – as it turned out – was right near where the soldier had decided to use the middle of a busy street as a parking lot. He pushed that thought out of his mind and forced himself to focus on the surroundings as he took in the number of tall buildings that seemed to surround him from all sides.

The sight gave him a disturbing sense of claustrophobia and vertigo just from craning his neck to see the very top. Both were difficult to push back and away. Balamb had always been a much open area, and their buildings weren't much higher than the four storey business buildings. Even the five storey building that belonged to the mayor weren't as tall as these buildings, and it didn't even solely belong to him as his home of residence. In Timber, there had been even more gaps of space that seeming gave pause for citizens to breathe. There were structures that had been tall, though they had appeared to have some other purpose aside from housing people, the exception being the television station. Here in Deling City, it felt very stifling, very confining. Squall knew he would not like to live here.

Setting his sights in the far distance, he could make out a number of buildings past a large archway that could have easily been the very centre of the city. Much closer to their location, he noted that a fountain had been set up in the very centre of the road, forcing cars and vans to turn accordingly – no doubt to avoid any accidents. Along the curved path, he took notice of several uniformed personnel meeting buses that stopped around their vicinity and, after a few moments, the newly loaded bus would circle by them and continue onto their destination.

In a city so large, Squall was amazed to notice how there were actual trees plotted everywhere, the sidewalks acting as some kind of boarder that wasn't altogether unpleasant. From what the Squad leader had learned, the bigger the cities were the less foliage that was around. Timber had been a large example to this, since the train town had no sign of plant life anywhere and it was bigger than Balamb Town, which was still surrounded by it. The surrounding forests in the area hadn't hurt either.

The sun was just setting in the distance, and Squall recognized the signs of people wandering about as though setting off for work, despite the fact that it was already four in the afternoon. He would have been amazed by the backward logic had he not recalled that Deling City was also known as 'The City of the Night'. While people did work during the day and children attended school, the city became truly alive when the sky darkened. Apparently, it was even possible to spot the city lights from way out in the plains, almost as far as the desert south.

One look around told him that Selphie and Zell were taking in their surroundings with the same awestruck emotions that he had felt. Irvine only looked slightly mystified by the group's surroundings, while both Rinoa and Quistis seemed almost unimpressed by the city in its entirety. It was fairly obvious that they'd been here before.

"This place looks sooo awesome!" Selphie said. Squall couldn't blame her. Out of everyone there, she had been the most sheltered from larger towns like this. Trabia Garden was way out in the back of beyond after all.

"You said we're going to Caraway's mansion, right?" Rinoa asked, to which Squall nodded. "We should take bus number 15. It'll take us right in front of it."

"Sounds like you know the way pretty well," Zell commented.

Rinoa shrugged and Squall suddenly got a mental image of the raven-haired girl plotting bombing sites. Blowing up the General's house would definitely be a cause for panic. Making a mental note to keep quiet about Rinoa's resistance activities, he allowed her to lead them to the bus they would need to take.

The bus interior was belayed by its exterior. On the outside it looked as though it could fit two teams of a football team inside, but it was much more cramped inside than what the SeeD had expected. Selphie and Quistis alone managed to grab seats while everyone else was forced to stand amongst the other passengers, the bags they were carrying taking up a lot of room. Squall couldn't help noticing the dark glares they received for the added space, though he ignored them without too much difficulty. They couldn't afford to blow their cover by starting an exchange over it and he fixed Zell with a look that threatened retaliation should he act on his mounting anger, which was apparent by the tightening of the brawler's face as he took in the disapproving looks he caught.

When their stop approached, Rinoa pulled the cord along the top half of the window behind her, causing a loud dinging noise to sound throughout the bus. Apparently, it was a signal alerting the driver that someone wanted off and they barely managed to do so, almost leaving Zell and Irvine behind as they pulled their things from the door. When they had collected their belongings and made sure everyone was accounted for, Rinoa led them further down the street.

Along the way, Squall couldn't help but wonder about this mission as a whole. The Galbadian General was working with Garden officials to get rid of the Sorceress. If the Sorceress was working with the Galbadia President, then why would the Galbadian General want SeeD to help kill her? The first thing thought to cross his mind concerning this implausible response was a coup d'état, but he shook it off with some difficulty. While it might have fit during other circumstances, somehow he wasn't getting the impression that Caraway had any intention of taking over Deling's post. He might have just seen what the lifelong president's ambitions prevented _him_ from seeing, that the Sorceress' involvement would cause a threat to the world that would be irreparable.

In Squall's opinion, that made the General a very smart man.

"We're almost there," Rinoa said confidently, breaking into Squall's thoughts.

He frowned thoughtfully, unable to shake the unsettling feeling he got every time he was reminded that it was _Rinoa_ who was showing them to the General's mansion. It made him rethink his earlier decision to leave inquiring about her situation until later, but before he could act on this thought, he spotted a Galbadian soldier standing in the way of the walkway they were approaching. Rinoa suddenly stopped in front of the soldier and Squall realized with a grimace of irritation that they had reached their destination.

"We're here to speak to General Caraway," Rinoa said calmly, sounding like she'd done this a million times before. It added to the strangeness of Rinoa's actions since they had arrived in the city, causing that feeling of trepidation to deepen.

The guard nodded in response. "The mansion he lives in is just beyond, however I wouldn't be doing my job if I just let you in."

Squall's frown deepened. That's not at all what he'd expected to hear. "The General should have been alerted to our arrival."

"While this is true," the guard said politely, as though he'd rehearsed this for many years now, "I was ordered not to allow you to pass unless your skills have been proven."

"That man," Rinoa said, huffing with indignation. "He's still _that_ sceptical of people."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Zell asked, equally unamused.

"Unfortunately," the guard said, "there are quite a lot of people who come to call on the General, and there have been several who have masqueraded as people seeking to utilize his connections when they only wish to bring him harm."

"How many?" Selphie asked, sounding more curious than irritated.

"Enough to take measures to prevent any further attempts on his life," the guard responded simply.

Squall sighed in frustration. This was definitely _not_ what he'd in mind. "So what exactly does he want us to do?"

"To the north-east of the city is a tomb. It is known as the Tomb of the Unknown King. All you need to do is trek over to the tomb and return with a code number."

"Code number?" Selphie echoed.

The guard nodded. "As I explained, you are not the only ones to call upon the general for aid. Just last week a student from Galbadia Garden came to speak with him and we sent them there. They have yet to return, and it is assumed that they won't. All you need to do is go to the Tomb of the Unknown King, locate the remains of this student and return with their identification number. Once this task is completed, you may speak to the General.

"The travel will take approximately two days time if you rent a car at the edge of town, though I must warn you to exercise extreme caution. If you go too deeply into the tomb, you may never return alive."

* * *

"Who does he think he _is_?" Rinoa snapped, throwing her hands up into the air. "This is a complete waste of time. He called _us_ here, didn't he?"

"Still, he's got a good point," Zell said, though from the tone of his voice he wasn't too thrilled to admit it. "If people kept showing up trying to kill me, I'd want proof of what they wanted too."

"He's just being paranoid!" Rinoa snapped in protest and folded her arms across her chest irritably.

This conversation had taken place just after they'd been turned away. Once she had gotten her outburst out of her system, Rinoa had claimed to know how to get to the edge of town, where they would rent a car and drive to the tomb. Hopping onto another bus, they'd taken the route to the car rental place, paid the attendant there the rental fee and set out in a red sports car. Squall would've been perfectly fine with something more practical like a van, given the amount of people that were travelling together, but it had been all the attendant had had left.

Having remembered Selphie's antics behind the steering wheel, Squall had opted to drive instead. The car was a stick-shift (not particularly one of Squall's favourite methods of driving), but he'd managed, though he still found it annoying to have to change gears whenever he was forced to slow down or speed up. While he was a much better driver behind the wheel than Selphie, he still noted how everyone clung onto their doors or seats when he made the necessary turns in order to avoid collisions with the monsters in the area. When it was time to set up camp for the night, Quistis had declared that she would be taking over control of the vehicle.

Selphie had sneered in his direction, no doubt recalling his own reaction to her driving back in Balamb. He'd quickly reminded her that he was still the better driver between the two. In retaliation, he had been the recipient of an especially immature raspberry from the shorter SeeD, however the subject had, mercifully, not been brought back up again.

Everyone had agreed before leaving the capital that they would travel the distance as far as they could during the day before breaking for camp at night. This was believed to be the quickest method of reaching the tomb while ensuring they did not tire themselves out along the way. Squall still remembered the first night and the headache that had surfaced with it. Upon discovering their sleeping arrangements, Rinoa's adamant refusal to sleep on the ground inside of a tent had resulted in her sleeping in the backseat of the rental car. It hadn't taken very much for him to recall her lodgings back on the Forest Owl's train, and the spoiled pampering she'd received in addition. As such, her idea of 'roughing it' was far different from the rest of the travellers and it was decidedly safer to just go along with her decision rather than to attempt to change her mind.

Unfortunately, Rinoa's spoiled behaviour wasn't even half of the problem. Squall's team had packed a tent in the event there was any need for it and Quistis still carried her group's tent from her previous mission. That being the case, there was more than enough space for the remaining five, except that Zell proclaimed – very loudly in fact – that he would rather risk being eaten alive by an Ochu than to share a tent with the sharpshooter. Given that they had agreed it would be better to split the tents between genders, due to Selphie distrusting the guys (Irvine in particular) not to peek on the girls as they changed, this proved to be yet another difficult obstacle. In the end, the brawler had also decided to camp out in the car, choosing to sleep sitting up in the passenger seat. It couldn't have been very comfortable. However given the antics he'd had to deal with, Squall found it very difficult to care.

Regardless of the problems that had presented themselves, the scheduled stops had proven to be the right idea. What should've been a two days trip turned out to be a day and a half's journey. Even with Quistis behind the wheel – who, in Squall's opinion, probably had one foot hovering over the gas at all times – they'd made decent time. Had he realized they hadn't had much further to drive, he would have suggested they continue the travel throughout the night before setting up camp in front of their destination the following day. The sun had only just finished climbing over the horizon by the time they'd arrived, and they'd packed up camp at around daybreak.

He frowned thoughtfully has he turned his attention to his watch, which was still reading in Balamb time. His watch told him that it was ten o'clock, but because of the difference in time zones, as well as the knowledge that it was just after dawn, he guessed it was closer to five.

Quistis seemed to realize what he was doing. Currently she was looking over the map she had brought with her for her own mission and she didn't look up from it when she spoke. "It's just after oh six hundred."

He didn't bother to nod in her direction, since she wouldn't have seen him anyway.

"Made it in good time!" Selphie cheered at a pitch that was too high first thing in the morning. She emphasised her mood by pumping both arms into the air.

"And we've still got another four days before the mission begins," Quistis confirmed, looking up from her map and nodding slightly. "We just need to find that ID and we can be on our way."

They continued further up the trail they had parked in front of, the others engaged in idly chit-chat. Squall ignored them all as he considered their surroundings, noting that, the further they walked the foliage and trees were disappearing from the area. He assumed it had something to do with the tomb itself, and realized that the natural surroundings were being replaced by half-built stone structures covered in green moss. The stone steps that couldn't have been anything but man-made added to the trail.

It was after a half an hour's trek that he started to realize the changes in his surroundings. The dirt road they had found and were walking along was slowing beginning to shift into that of a stone made pathway. There was still grass all around them, and stairs had made to take them around the natural ledges that had formed, though Selphie didn't think twice about jumping. He didn't worry about the shorter SeeD getting hurt because he'd already seen her jump off a cliff. Three times if he included the chase with the Galbadian's Black Widow.

Still, the area seemed to suggest that the influence of man had had something to do with their surroundings. Then again, he shouldn't have been surprised, what with their destination there should have had some indication that humans had once travelled these parts. It wouldn't have been a stretch to believe that it had been mankind who had built the structure they were travelling to.

The Squad leader was just adjusting the strap to his bag along his shoulder so that it wasn't digging into skin when he heard the sound of footfalls coming from ahead of them. The structure they were approaching was large and constructed from stone, and towered over them all, looking very large, tall and formidable. Likewise, a bridge made of stone covered the large looking gap between the stretch of land, where a dirty looking river between it would have made accessing the structure impossible otherwise.

Then he saw the source of the echoing footfalls. There were two girls who looked roughly around his age running out of the structure. They were wearing the black uniforms indicating that they were from Galbadia Garden. One was dark skinned with short cropped black hair and the other was a brunette. Hers pulled back into a ponytail. Judging from the recognition that showed through his features suggested that Irvine seemed to know them. But before he could say anything, they were running past them, yelling something about float before high-tailing it out of there.

"What was _that_ all about?" Zell asked, looking puzzled. Rinoa watched the two girls running down the path with an apprehensive expression. It looked like she was beginning to regret tagging along on this mission.

"Well, whatever it was, we're sure to find out unless we're careful," Quistis said with a verbal shrug.

The former instructor had a valid point. They had come running out of the stone structure for a reason. Something had happened in there, and unless they wanted to find out what it was they were going to have to watch their step.

Squall was sure that the building towering before them was the tomb they were looking for. For one thing, there was nothing else around them for miles in this direction. And if they paid attention and kept their guard up, chances were that, whatever those two girls encountered would have a difficult time find them.

The teenager gestured them forward, keeping a tight grip on the gunblade in case he would need it all the same.

Barely a minute later, everyone was inside the structure, their surroundings growing darker the further they went in. He was thankful he was still junctioned, since he wouldn't have been able to see otherwise. That ID was around there somewhere and they would all need to focus to find it.

Just when the thought about the lack of light had crossed his mind, he realized suddenly that Rinoa certainly didn't use Guardian Forces, and he was fairly sure Irvine didn't. Galbadia Garden certainly didn't train their students to utilize the strange entities, what with a long withstanding distrust towards anything magic related.

They continued along the corridor for a good few minutes, walking in two lines of two – it was far too narrow for all six of them to continue along side by side – and Squall noted the moss that was growing from the ceilings while a substance that looked like water gave no indication of which direction they were headed. It was very still. When they were too far from the entrance for the light outside to do them any good, Squall's eyes began to adjust to their darkening surroundings when a light to the side of him caught his attention.

Turning marginally in the direction of the foreign light, he saw Irvine was holding a makeshift torch that he'd apparently made from a piece of wood and, quite possibly, a lighter or some other similar instrument. Squall wouldn't have put it past the sharpshooter to have just picked it up from somewhere along the way. Sure enough, Squall caught a glint of metal as Irvine pocketed the device. He grinned benignly at the Squad leader as he said, "I reckoned we wanted ta be able ta see the first six feet head." He tipped his hat forward using his free hand as he spoke. It seemed like a habitual quirk of his.

Water dripped from the ceiling as they continued along the path, and Squall suspected that there were patches in the cement above their heads that allowed the damp element to leak through. But when they entered an open corridor, Squall was amazed to discover that there was light leaking from above. Small holes had formed through the thick stony ceiling, apparently big enough to allow the shimmering glow to reflect off the liquid that Squall could now see situated in grooves between the floor and the ceiling on either side of them and continuing along each pathway that stood before them. Seemingly curious, Zell removed one of his knuckled gloves and bent down besides the substance, dipping his hand into it before grinning. "'S just water," he confirmed.

"At least we won't dehydrate down here," Quistis commented offhandedly. Squall ignored the quip.

Irvine shrugged in response, but seemed to opt the torch to their dimmer surroundings. It made some sense, but the Squad leader hoped it wouldn't hamper the sharpshooter's movements. If they got into a fight, they would need all the help they could get.

Squall took a moment to take in their surroundings. All around them were stone walls that looked identical to each other. The moss along the ceilings and walls, and the water situated between the floor and walls. From the looks of it they had four options to make. Take either the left, right paths, move straight ahead, or go back the way they'd come to the exit.

"Oh, I can already tell I'm going to like this place," Rinoa quipped sarcastically. Squall mentally agreed with her. "How come no one thought to bring a map?"

"A place like this with the reputation it possesses, I'd think it likely no one was left to document the surroundings," Quistis mused aloud.

"Process of elimination, eh?" Zell said as he rose to stand his full height. He was barely shorter than Squall. "Sounds like fun."

"Standing around talking about it isn't going to make things easier," Squall said in response, shrugging it off.

"So…any idea which way we're going?" Selphie asked brightly.

It was obvious that they weren't going back the way they'd come since they knew where it led, but that also left three different directions. Squall mentally reminded himself that there were six of them. It would be easy to split them off into groups to find the code number, but he didn't really like the idea of splitting up their group. It seemed far too easy for any of them to get lost. He supposed, though, that as long as someone in the group knew how to cast magic they could easily mark their location and find their way back to the centre.

"We split up," Squall announced. Everyone regarded him as soon as he'd spoken. His voice had broken the silence that had fallen. "Teams of two, three directions. We meet back here in an hour. That should give us plenty of time to look, and we'll cover more ground that way."

"So what're the teams?" Zell asked.

Squall frowned to himself. That was a good question. He couldn't chance pairing people together who didn't get along, and likewise those who got on too quickly would be equally distracted. At the same time, his original thought of one member on the team being able to cast magic was a must.

In regards to working together, that left himself as the only viable option to pair with Irvine. No one else seemed to get along with their newest travelling companion and, while he didn't necessarily have the patience for bullshit, he knew how to tune it out enough to focus on the task at hand. Somehow, he had the sense that Quistis and Rinoa wouldn't be a wise match up either. While they had seemed amicable on the train ride to the Garden and the Capital (which was all well and good), he knew from what he'd learned over the last couple of weeks that Rinoa didn't like being told what to do. Quistis was bossy by nature, so that in itself would serve as a problem. On top of that, Quistis had the patience of a saint, or so it seemed most days. She was the only one he knew of (aside from the Garden Faculty) who had been brave enough to break up his and Seifer's fights, and he sure as hell knew he wasn't the easiest person to deal with at times. Unfortunately, it would also only be a matter of time before Rinoa's antics got the better of her and she eventually lost her temper. He wanted to avoid that at all costs, though he could definitely sympathise. He didn't have the patience for them either.

The easiest remedy for that was to pair Quistis and Selphie together, but somehow he didn't think it was a good idea to leave Rinoa's safety with Zell, because the brawler got distracted a little too easily for his liking.

The thought process only took about a minute to complete, but it felt a lot longer. Frowning to himself, he wasn't particularly thrilled with the match ups, but they would have to do, at least for the time being. The sooner they found the ID card, the sooner they could leave. "Quistis and Zell will form one group, Selphie and Rinoa will work as another one. Irvine, you're with me."

"You're the boss," Irvine nodded. If he was disappointed, he wasn't showing it.

"We'll take the _right _path!" Selphie offered enthusiastically, linking arms with Rinoa who grinned back.

"We've got the middle," Zell suggested, to which Quistis nodded.

"That leaves us with left," Squall said as he gestured between himself and Irvine. "Remember, we'll look around for about an hour, then meet back here. If a group hasn't gotten back yet, don't wander off to look for them. We don't want to end up getting lost while looking for each other. Just wait in this spot."

He raised his hand slightly and watched as magic formed in the centre of his palm. An instant later, the blast of magic hit the ground beneath them, forming a small crater, the resonating sparks of the thunder spell he'd cast marking the spot.

"The same thing goes for if you find the code number before we meet up again," Squall continued as everyone else stared at the mark the thunder spell had left. "It's very likely that our communicators won't work in here because of how stick the stone walls are. Just wait here. Eventually, we'll all meet up again."

He was met with solemn glances. Zell, Quistis and Selphie all looked determined to complete their objective, Rinoa looked anxious about her surroundings and Irvine had that same impassive expression on his features. Everyone understood the conditions of the search and, with any luck, nothing would go wrong.

So without another word, the three groups set off in search of the elusive code number.


	28. Chapter XXVII: The Most Dangerous Thing

**Edited: **_06/12/10_

* * *

**Chapter XXVII:  
The Most Dangerous Thing About Tombs...**

* * *

The amount of things they'd seen they'd seen so far of the Tomb would be enough to fill Zell's gloved fist. It was _boring_. Their surroundings were exactly the same everywhere they looked. The same stupid ceiling, the same stupid stone floor, the same stupid water flowing all around them between both stupid floor and stupid wall. The same stupid _everything_. The only difference was he had less people to vent to, and Quistis kept telling him calmly that they couldn't help the way that the tomb looked until eventually she said nothing at all when he brought it up.

Zell wanted to kick, punch or throw something in his frustration, except they hadn't even run into any monsters along the way. The stupid guard (_this is all his stupid fault,_ was the constant thought in mind when he thought of his surroundings) had said that going in too far was a good way of getting killed, but so far he hadn't found anything to back up those words.

After about fifteen minutes of walking, he and Quistis stopped because they'd discovered they could go no further. The pathway led to an open expanse with a pillar positioned in the centre. An old looking draw bridge was standing upright along the edge and over what could've been an entrance. It blocked the view regardless

The gap between them was too far across to jump, and there was nothing they could use to climb down to the pathetically almost-unseen moat at the bottom of the expanse. Zell knew that float spells could get them there easily, but he didn't know how long they would last. With the way their luck had been heading thus far, it was more likely to drop them like flies without warning. Quistis seemed to think the same, because she hesitated in casting any spells as well and for the next five minutes the pair simply stared at the pillar across from them before giving up for lost and turning back around.

"It's too soon to just be standing around waiting for the others," Quistis was saying as they made their way back. "We'd just be constantly jumping at every little sound suspecting a monster nearby."

"I'm starting to think this place is abandoned," Zell muttered.

"What was your first clue?" Quistis asked in exasperation. "We're in a _tomb_!"

"I mean by monsters," Zell elaborated, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "I haven't seen a single one since we got here."

"They might still be around here somewhere."

"And what? We must've missed them? _All _of them?"

Quistis sighed again. "I think it might have something to do with that pillar in the centre. Perhaps where we were standing was the entrance route. That bridge looked like it was covering up something, perhaps a doorway?"

Zell frowned thoughtfully. Now that she'd mentioned it, it _was_ pretty strange to see a bridge propped up in a place that was supposed to be crawling with monsters. Zell thought that perhaps they were all trapped inside eating each other, though that in itself was wishful thinking. With no explanation for the lack of the monsters in the area, the brawler dropped the subject, not sure what else to add to it anyway. "So if we're not gonna wait at the front like Squall said, then what're we gonna do for the next bit? Try to figure out a way to get over there? I thought we'd given up on that."

"If you'll remember, it's called 'The Tomb of the Unknown King," Quistis said.

"You think a _king_ was buried _here_?" Zell asked incredulously as he looked about the tomb. It was dark, damp and dank and smelt like mould and mildew.

"It is possible. There were many unnamed kings in history. In ancient times, the kings of empires were buried in tombs, but their names were stricken because of superstition. It's supposed to bring bad luck to call a king by name after they've died. Anyway, from the looks of the map of Galbadia I've been carrying around, if we were to face the tomb, I'm sure we'd be facing the direction Dollet is in. _Maybe_ it was a King in _their_ dynasty."

"So a king from _Dollet_ was buried here in _Galbadia_?" Zell thought that was even more outrageous.

"It's just speculation," Quistis said with a disappointed shrug. "But that's besides the point. If a king really _was _buried here, then there would be steps taken to ensure tomb robbers couldn't reach him, like traps, or guardians. Anything to discourage them, really. "

"What's _that_ gotta do with the code number?"

"I don't know, but if we can't find the number anywhere else, then we may as well consider the possibility that it's over there," Quistis said as she gestured back the way they had just travelled. "Either the student was there at one point, or..."

She didn't continue the line of thought because she didn't have to. If there were monsters crawling around all over the place, then one of them might've gotten that far, killed the student and somehow dragged the carcass – code number and all – inside with them. Zell was still sceptical of the monster theory, but the alternative meant that the missing student had somehow managed to get across in the first place. Maybe they starved because whatever had helped him get across reverted it to this state. Either way, that would pinpoint the code number to be inside the pillar, and it didn't look like there was any way to get across. At least not right now.

Thinking about it was making Zell's head hurt, so he stopped. "So... what _do_ we do."

Quistis stopped walking so abruptly that by the time he realized, the brawler was a few feet away before he stopped himself. "We... _could_ split up."

"And wander around this creepy place on our own?" Zell asked, in awe that someone seemingly so smart would suggest something so incredibly stupid.

"Not for very long. We could possibly catch up with the other two teams. Maybe give them our theory if they haven't found anything themselves. If they continued straight ahead from the initial divergence, we could probably catch them."

"That's assuming they went straight in the first place," Zell argued. "Or that this place goes around in a circle."

"Actually, that's _exactly_ what I think this place is," Quistis said, her speech quickening with the prospect of proving something. "From the look of that gap in our pathway earlier, it was the _very_ centre of this tomb. All of the path ways one way or another must lead back to that pillar, with the exception of the entrance way. So if we walk along the _inside_ route instead of going all the way back to the outer ring, we _should_ be able to meet up with them quickly."

Zell thought about it while, at the same time, trying to envision the pillar room and realized that Quistis was right. He had poked his head out to get a better look inside and he'd definitely noticed two different holes that looked like they led to the centre. There was probably one at the far side too.

The more he considered the idea, the more he agreed with Quistis' line of thinking and the more it appealed to him. His only real problem was what would happen to them if they ran into monster troubles alone. Zell knew _he_ was strong, but he wasn't strong enough to take out a whole _horde _of creatures that might or might not have lived there. He also knew that, while he might be okay, Quistis' whip didn't exactly work well in close quarters. What if a monster got up in her face?

"Well?" Quistis asked when he didn't say anything for a minute.

Zell frowned thoughtfully to himself. While the idea of Quistis getting into a jam because a monster got in too close bothered him, he reminded himself that she'd been a SeeD much longer than him. Okay, she'd been an instructor for the past year, but the time before that had been spent out in the field. If anything she knew what she was doing better than he did. "Alright, it sounds like a good plan. So which one of us goes to the group with _Irvine_?"

Quistis scrunched up her features in obvious distaste at the thought and Zell grinned at the reaction. _Neither_ one of them was especially thrilled at the idea of working with the sharpshooter. Zell sure as hell wasn't, and Quistis was probably afraid of getting extra attention from him. Squall was with him, but Zell wasn't so sure Irvine'd listen if the Squad leader told him to cut it out.

He put his hands up into the air as though to stop Quistis from making a decision before searching his pockets for some kind of coin. His grin broadened when he found one and he held it on top of his thumb. "Call it. Heads or tails?"

* * *

Fifteen minutes had gone by since they'd split off from the others, and already they were in trouble.

At first, nothing eventful had taken place as they'd travelled along the left corridor. Between the moss and algae that had built up along the walls and the ceilings, he had managed to conclude that the tomb was very old and very damp, but not much else. The air was filled with the smell of water, as though there had been a miniature downpour a few hours ago, but aside from that the tomb was barren and dull.

Irvine had tried to fill the air with conversation, complaining how he couldn't choose between Selphie, Quistis or Rinoa, and Squall had just barely managed to ignore him. He was forced to take back his earlier assessment of the sharpshooter. The only things on his mind were guns and women. Though since the train ride, Irvine had seemed more sombre than he had when they'd initially met. He wondered if Quistis' words had had that much of an effect on him. He was suddenly very aware of why Rinoa and Selphie had been so furious with him by the time they'd reached the train station.

Now, they were currently at opposite ends of a forked corridor, weapons primed at the monster that had ambushed them a few minutes prior. It reminded Squall of an armadillo, but much larger. Its short stubby legs were barely able to support its girth. A large and sturdy looking shell made up its back and tail, and its small beady head stuck out awkwardly from the front of its body.

Squall was forced to duck out of the way from another swipe from its massive clawed hand, and Irvine fired rounds at it from behind, hoping to draw its attention away from the Gunblader. As had been the effect the previous times the sharpshooter had attempted this, one bullet bounced up while the others back lashed, forcing the sharpshooter to duck behind a corner as they blasted at the walls near him. The former embedded itself into the ceiling above the monster. The last few attempts had resulted in the both of them ducking back to avoid the backlash of gunfire. There was just no penetrating that shell.

Squall charged forward as he ducked past another swipe from the monster, his gunblade raised over his head before he brought it down, attempting to end the fight with a blow to the head. But the blade had as much of an affect as the gunshots. It struck the armadillo monster but did not do much more than scratch the impenetrable shell. The monster raised its head, forcing Squall from the ground, before it snapped its neck back, trying to lose the SeeD from the back of its neck.

The next thing he knew, Squall was flying in mid air. Just as quickly he began to fall, and landed roughly onto his stomach on the back of the monster. He coughed roughly and drew in the oxygen that had been knocked out from his diaphragm before he was forced to grab onto the shell and hold on tightly. The monster must have realized where the SeeD had landed and was attempting to shake him. The Revolver fell uselessly onto the ground with a loud clatter, and he grit his teeth as he held on and hoped the stupid monster didn't have the sense in mind to crush it under its feet.

He caught movement as the monster whirled around. Irvine had charged away from the corner he'd been taking pot-shots from, and from the looks of it, he was trying to reach the gunblade before it could get destroyed. The sharpshooter slid beneath the monster (narrowly avoiding getting stepped on in the process) and rolled out from the other side, gripping the handle of the Revolver tightly. The monster spotted Irvine and made to step on him, but Squall, concentrating on the cold, pulled off the glove on his left hand and pressed it quickly against the nape of the monster's neck.

The monster started from the sudden contact. It reared back onto its stubby legs and Squall was flung from its back, falling hard onto the ground and landing roughly on his shoulder. As he rubbed at the appendage, he saw the shell falling towards him and managed to somersault out of the way, landing a few inches behind as the ground shook beneath him. Squall was barely able to keep his balance and, turning around, he saw that the monster had landed on its back. Due to the way it curved, it also looked like it was unable to push itself back on its feet. Instead, it only managed to rock back and forth along the curved top, its legs waving about madly as it struggled to find solid ground.

On the opposite side, Irvine opened fire, with blast after blast of gunshots hitting the underbelly of the monster, blood pouring along its sides as it squealed in pain, its attempts to pull itself back up onto its feet becoming more desperate. Squall realized why the shots were finally connecting. The monster's shell served as some form of protection against attacks like his gunblade and Irvine's gunfire. Get the monster on its back, and it became defenceless.

Squall rose to his feet and charged forward. Irvine paused in his shooting long enough to toss – both handedly – the Revolver gunblade towards him. The weapon fell short of its goal, hitting the ground with a loud clatter and continuing to slide as it revolved in a 360 degree motion. Squall charged forward, somersaulting and grabbed the weapon in his left hand before continuing the charge as Irvine resumed his shooting. When he was close enough, the SeeD raised his blade and slashed down, catching the skin beneath him before pulling the trigger. The monster shook violently as he held the trigger down, the vibrations jarring its body almost violently before it finally stopped moving altogether.

Withdrawing the gunblade from the corpse of the giant armadillo, Squall wiped the inchor from its blade onto the body as Irvine sauntered over, rifle in hand. "Damned thing wouldn't stay _down_," Irvine commented just as Squall finished cleaning the gunblade. "Where to next?"

That was a very good question. The Squad leader looked up from inspecting the gunblade for any scrapes or imperfections and realized, with a sudden sinking feeling, that with all the fighting they'd both become completely disoriented. All the walls looked exactly the same, and there was no telling which direction would take them further into the tomb or back to where they had started. It was then that he understood exactly what the guard had meant when he'd made his warning.

_Go in too deep and you may never come back alive,_ he reminded himself grimly as he replaced the glove he'd taken off his left hand. Between the monsters and the tomb, their chances of finding their way back out were looking grim.

He frowned to himself. Ever since splitting off from the rest of the group, both he and Irvine had marked their way throughout each corridor. Unfortunately, with the fight going on to where they were now, it was going to be difficult figuring out just which direction they'd come from. Whoever had built this tomb had thought of everything, it seemed.

Just as he was about to confess he had absolutely no idea where they were or which way they should be heading, he heard a sudden rushing sound. It was as though the corridor was slowly filling with water. Both he and Irvine exchanged puzzled glances before directing their gaze down and about the chamber they'd found themselves in. They couldn't find a water source except for the gaps between the walls and the floor.

But the water that ran between that gap was slowly spilling over the edge and onto the ground, pooling together in one spot ahead of them. Instead of washing towards their feet, the pile of water seemed to grow into a mound, solidifying into a substance akin to jelly before it seemed to form a new creature. All it was was a large blob in the ground with fierce red eyes and a large gaping mouth. Protruding from its sides were what could barely be described short stubby arms. The water surrounding them seemed to fuel it and it began to slide towards them, leaving a trail of liquid behind it in its wake.

Without even thinking, Squall threw his arm out as Irvine opened fire, focusing on electricity as he recalling how water creatures were weak against thunder. The bullets slammed into the monster and slowed to a stop in its very centre. The monster continued its movements regardless, though the bullets lay useless on the ground behind it.

Along the ground the water blob slithered towards them, it seemed to crackle with static energy and, from seemingly nowhere, three lightning bolts seemed to arch towards the creature from separate angles and directions. The monster shuddered against the onslaught, its body jiggling disgustingly like gelatine, before it seemed to compose itself.

"Just my luck," Irvine groaned from behind. Squall had already surmised from the previous fight that the sharpshooter didn't utilize paramagic.

Stepping back, the Squad leader focused once again and allowed the energy of the Thundara spell to spring forth and blast into the blob. It was like a metallic rod, the water that made up its body seemed to attract the element, and for a moment, as they backed out of the fork and down the path behind, Squall thought the blob wouldn't stand a chance.

But it suddenly waved its small stubby arms and, from the energies collecting from it Squall realized it was casting a spell of its own.

Before he could discern which spell was being cast, he felt a spark of electricity around him. The ground beneath him ripped open as a flash of light blasted above, narrowly missing him before another blast of thunder flared up from beneath him. All he was aware of was pain as more electricity than he'd ever faced before in his life surged through him, dulling all of his other senses. He wasn't aware that the blasts had subsided until he was on the ground in a collapsed heap. He could feel himself shaking as the voltage ran out of his body, and he was dully aware that someone was pulling him up into a sitting position.

His surroundings blurred back into focus and Squall scowled at the water blob before them. If it wanted a pissing contest, then that's what it was going to get. Shrugging Irvine off of him, he concentrated solely onto the lightning element, preparing to call out the Thunder Bird to finish this fight off...

"Hyahh!" A familiar sounding voice broke through the silence and disturbed Squall's concentration. From the left hand side, he spotted a black, blue, red and yellow blur flying towards the blob. The SeeD frowned as he and Irvine watched Zell execute a flying kick towards the blob, only to get his outstretched leg stuck into the side of the monster.

Squall slapped himself in the forehead as Irvine roared with laughter. It was painfully obvious that Zell needed to learn to look before he (literally) leapt into the fray. But when he looked back up, he saw that Zell had tried to prop his other foot on top of the monster to pry his trapped leg out. Unfortunately because the blob's body was composed entirely from water, he was awarded no sturdy footing and thus the brawler's foot sank right through the barrier. Within seconds, he had begun to sink into the blob in a similar fashion the bullets from Irvine's gun had done previously.

"Um... I'm okay," Zell shouted as Squall and Irvine went to assist the brawler. "Really, I'm fine."

He attempted a sheepish laugh, even as he sank in until everything below his chest had been submerged.

Deciding that the brawler was _not_ okay, Squall charged forward, while Irvine opened fire into the monster's face. The bullets still had no effect, and even as he drew closer, Squall knew the gunblade wasn't going to do anything but he was at a loss as to what else he could do. He didn't dare use magic or elemental junctioning to kill it unless he wanted to hit Zell too (as sorely tempted as he was he decided against it).

He slashed at the monster, pulling the trigger as the blade connected with the skin. It was like cutting through water, the vibrations of the gunblade causing the monster to shake once more, though nothing came of the action. Squall scowled in disgust at the result.

By this time Zell had sunk into the blob up to his arm pits. Tossing the gunblade down in irritation, the SeeD chose to focus his attempts at prying the brawler out before he could be absorbed and potentially drown. This proved to be difficult since, unlike his gunblade, the blonde fighter felt as though he were wearing a large amount of weights, so laden down with water as he was. Even pulling on him using both arms he wasn't making very much leeway, and without the proper footing, he couldn't get enough force to pull him any more than a couple millimetres if that.

"Let go!" Zell suddenly said, and Squall realized that the brawler was trying to pry Squall off of him.

"What?" Squall said in surprise, but it was the moment Zell had needed. While the gunblader was distracted, Zell loosed himself from Squall's grip. The next thing the Squad leader knew, he was lying on the ground, having been propelled backwards from the lack of resistance, and landed his back. As he propped himself up on his elbows, he watched in horror as the brawler's blonde strands disappeared beneath the water that made up the monster before them.

For a moment nothing happened, and it intensified the SeeDs instinct to do something. He couldn't help but wonder if Zell was simply planning to allow the monster to drown him, but just as he was pulling himself up onto his feet, the blob shuddered violently as sparks of electric energy flew from inside of it. Those sparks appeared to centre around Zell, who was curled up into a ball with his eyes clenched shut and his cheeks puffed out from a breath he'd taken before being pulled inside. It was then that Squall realized what the brawler had planned to do all along. He was forcing the electric energy of a thunder spell to run through his body like a live current. The contact between both elements was tearing the monster apart from the inside out.

And then the blob exploded, causing water to blast out from all directions. Before he could do anything about it, a particularly large batch hit Squall full in the face, leaving him sputtering as he was forcefully thrown back down onto the ground. Pulling himself to his feet, he shook his head, which caused droplets of water the fly out in every direction. His clothes clung to him from the onslaught of water and his leather jacket felt ten times heavier than normal.

His first concern was his team-mate however and he caught sight of the blonde fighter lying in the very centre of the watery mess. Before he could discern whether or not he was alright, Zell flipped himself over onto his stomach as he drew in a breath through ragged coughing. He twitched occasionally from the voltage he had suffered along with the monster, though Squall found himself relieved to note that the brawler had definitely fared better between the duo. Like him, his clothes clung to him and he dripped water along the stone ground beneath them.

After he seemed to get control of himself, Zell pushed himself up into a sitting position, grinning from ear to ear. His hair, though wet, was standing up on end from the electrical shock he'd endured. It looked like he'd spiked it up himself using some hair gel, though Squall doubted the effect would've been the same. "Some entrance, huh?"

Squall frowned as the brawler rose to his feet, grabbing his now soaked t-shirt and wringing out the access water. The Squad leader took a step and frowned in dismay, closing his eyes in silent irritation. The water had somehow gotten inside his boots, which sloshed with every step he took. With a sigh, he plopped himself back down onto the ground and began to undo the laces. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Zell had already removed his shoes and was in the process of drying them out.

"I thought you and Quistis took the centre path?" Squall finally asked as he flipped his boot upside down. A trail of water hit the ground beneath them and Squall shook the object to get most of what had seeped into the material out.

"We did," Zell said while he shook his head – kind of like a dog trying to dry itself – and caused rivulets of water to fly everywhere. Squall shielded himself with his arms to prevent getting hit in the face again, which the brawler took no notice of. "But we reached a dead end after a walking for a bit. Then Quistis came up with some theory that the code number could be in a pillar that was past the dead end."

"The guard said it should be close to the beginning, didn't he?"

Zell shrugged in response as he rung out his black t-shirt. "Dunno. Who's to say that it didn't grow feet or wander off?" He offered the Squad leader a toothy grin that fell from his features the moment he took in the elder teenager's irritation. Clearing his throat, Zell continued. "Anyways, we haven't found anything yet, and we figured that since we'd be waiting a while for you guys to show back up we could split up and help you guys look around until we get really desperate. Guess she was right about this place though."

"Right about what?" Squall asked, pulling off his other boot in preparation to wring out his socks.

"Quistis thinks this whole place is one gigantic circle. The centre made it look that way at least. So I took a shorter path in this direction and it brought me here. Found you guys fighting that thing and figured I'd come help..." Zell rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Not _exactly_ the way I thought it'd turn out, but you can't argue with the results."

"Waterlogged much?"

Both Squall and Zell turned around to see Irvine standing in the corridor, and the SeeD was shocked to discover that not one drop of water had even touched him. Judging by where he was leaning, Squall wouldn't have been surprised if it turned out the sharpshooter had ducked back before the worst of it could get to him. He was grinning at their expense, looking between the two with an expression that looked as though he were holding back laughter.

"How the fuck didn't _you_ get wet?" Zell shouted, obviously not having come to the same conclusion as the Squad leader.

Irvine shrugged. "Us sharpshooters are more alert ta our surroundings; we have ta be ta avoid detection during big ops like the one we've gotta do. In other words," he tipped his hat forward in emphasis, "my senses are more honed then yours."

Squall frowned at the jab, knowing that the sharpshooter was all bluster. Once again, Zell took the comment personally and, before Squall could stop him, the brawler threw out his hand in Irvine's direction. The sharpshooter was suddenly engulfed in water, the element circling around him like a bubble and a moment later, it burst onto the ground, dropping Irvine onto his rear end.

Zell howled with laughter, pointing at him in exaggerated gestures before whirling onto Squall, who noted how Irvine's face had turned an ugly shade of red. "Guess his _senses_ didn't see that one comin', huh?"

Squall just slapped himself in the forehead. If the monsters didn't finish them off first, he was pretty sure Zell and Irvine would kill each other.

* * *

She _really_ wanted to go home.

When she'd originally joined SeeD, she'd thought they'd be doing really important missions, like subterfuge or fending off Galbadian soldiers and the like. The mission in Timber had been a complete disaster and a total disappointment in that regard. There was no point in spinning it otherwise. Between Squall telling off their client and the actual assignment itself, this trip had already become one major let down.

Still, Selphie persevered, because that was the kind of person she was. She liked to look at the positive of things, and was a believer that there was always something positive out of a negative. Besides, SeeDs weren't meant to complain or to question the mission, no matter how dumb it seemed. The prospect of a really important mission had perked her up somewhat, but instead of meeting with the General like they were supposed to, they'd all found themselves wandering around some decrepit old tomb looking for a set of numbers.

She didn't care what Squall or Zell said in his defence, the man _was _paranoid.

They'd already encountered some really huge blob of water that had tried to attack them from behind; fortunately Selphie had mastered third level spells during the training she was supposed to be undertaking, and she'd finished it off quickly with a Thundaga spell, but that seemed to attract the attention of some armadillo like monsters. Knocking them onto their backsides seemed to immobilize them and she and Rinoa had made a break for it when the armadillo's became turtles.

When they weren't getting ambushed by the nasty monsters in the stinking tomb, Selphie was teaching Rinoa the basics of magic. She seemed to pick up on them pretty quickly, though she suspected that Seifer had had a hand in that. By the time they'd run into another blob monster, Rinoa had taken it down with simple Thunder spells (though Selphie had helped by junctioning poison onto her nunchaku and hitting the monster with it, though Rinoa didn't need to know that minor detail).

"Basically, the more energy you pour into the spell, the stronger the spell will become," Selphie was summing up for Rinoa as they rounded another corner. She was glad Rinoa was a quick learner, because the more magic users they had with them, the better their chances for getting the heck outta the tomb it would seem. "So stronger spells, like Blizzara, Fira and Thundara just need more energy, but if you're not used to casting, then they can take a bit outta you, so it's probably better to stick with the basics, at least for now anyway."

Rinoa nodded solemnly, Angelo trotting along with them by their heels. Upon meeting the collie, Selphie had instantly decided she'd liked him. She was cute and furry and easy to hug. Judging by her coat, and how close the two of them seemed to be, Selphie knew that Rinoa had been taking very good care of her. Rinoa had explained to the SeeD how the dog was her partner. Selphie was somewhat sceptical about that, since the dog had yet to back up the explanation, but she made for great company all the same.

Selphie suddenly heard a noise and she signalled for Rinoa to stop, the girl doing as told. With her enhanced vision, Selphie took in their surroundings. They had stopped in the middle of a forked corridor which wasn't exactly the best place to get stuck in a fight. The look on Rinoa's face told her she'd thought the same thing. Walking slowly and deliberately, they moved across the hall. Even Angelo had noticed the change in the atmosphere and was moving along carefully as well.

Suddenly the air changed around them, setting the diminutive SeeD on high alert and driving her into action. Selphie tackled Rinoa and forced her to the ground as a blast of fire lanced over her head, hitting the stone-tiled floor behind them. Looking up, Selphie spotted the cause just emerging from the shadowy ceiling above them. It was a Buel – a bat like monster with two sets of three wings rotating in opposite directions above its fanged face. It seemed to laugh at them almost tauntingly as a blast of ice flew up from the ground. Pushing Rinoa away, Selphie was able to dodge the spell and when she turned to investigate, she was relieved to find Rinoa and Angelo unharmed.

Pulling her nunchaku out of the harness on her back, she charged forward. From what she'd learned Buels were very resistant to magic spells, but they were so frail that it didn't take much forced to physically knock it down. She swung her nunchaku up, catching the bat-like creature on one of its wings. The bat lowered itself to the ground for a moment but before Selphie could finish it off, it flew right over her head, one of its wings knocking her back onto the ground.

Magic collected around its face and Rinoa jumped back once again, the blast of fire hitting the tiles just in front of her. Angelo growled her displeasure and ran forward while Rinoa pulled herself to her feet. The collie then did something Selphie hadn't expected; it jumped up onto the closest wall and then lunged for the bat, its teeth grabbing at one of the wings as the combined weight of the two forced them to the ground. Angelo's paws were pinning the other wings down, mindful of the bat's mouth, and tearing away at the wing in her mouth, snarling and rending with her teeth.

Having risen to her feet, Rinoa levelled the bladed weapon she wore on her left arm – a pinwheel she'd called it – and the blade launched its way towards the monster in an arch before hitting the bat straight in the face – Angelo had wisely backed out of the way of the projectile – before revolving back around and slamming back onto the docking pad. Once the monster had stopped moving, Angelo had let go of her prey and sat down, her tail wagging back and forth behind her as she panted happily.

"Good girl, Angelo," Rinoa commented, moving towards her. She opened up the bag she'd been carrying with her since Timber and withdrew from it dog treat. Crouching in front of Angelo, she placed the treat on top of the dog's nose, who knocked it to the side and ate it as Rinoa cooed her on.

Selphie had wondered what Rinoa had been carrying with her for all this time. The bag had seemed a bit heavier than normal, so the brunet had assumed it was provisions of some sort, but she hadn't been expecting the treats. However, those thoughts were put on the back burner as she stared at Angelo with a healthy appreciation. Angelo had most assuredly proven Rinoa's earlier explanation to be true. "That was _amazing_!" she said.

"I know," Rinoa said, beaming at the SeeD. "Angelo's my partner for a reason, you know."

But before Selphie could say anything else, she heard another sound. This time it was as though footfalls were coming towards them. She wondered for a second if it could've been one of the others, but then remembered they'd split up to find the code number.

But the thing that turned the corner was definitely human... Or had been once.

Rinoa let out a high pitched scream when she saw it Selphie couldn't blame her – it was a grim reminder of Gerogero during the train high-jacking. It was a walking mean looking skeleton that held two swords. One was red and the other was gold. It had a torn looking cape that was draped across its shoulders, like it was some kind of soldier.

"Is… is that a _skeleton_?" Rinoa shouted in surprise, pointing at it almost as though she thought Selphie might have missed it. "What's it doing moving on its own?"

Angelo barred her teeth at the skeleton monster and Selphie was forced to fight away the hilarious image of the collie attempting to bury the monster inside of a sand box. Instead, she focused her attention to the task at hand and, readying her nunchaku, she waited for it to make its move.

It didn't keep her waiting too long though, because it lunged towards the pair with a speed she wouldn't have expected, its swords raised above its head in a striking pose. Selphie intercepted the attack by raising the nunchaku flat across and forcing the weapon to clash with the metal chains between the two wood planks. Twisting so that the two swords were pinned with the chain wrapped around, Selphie lashed out with her leg, forcing the undead thing back and away.

_At least this one doesn't have meat falling off him,_ Selphie thought gratefully before she assumed her casting stance. Because of the rush job they'd had of getting out of Timber and then the quick stay at Galbadia Garden, she hadn't had the chance to restock her items. She had no potions left to throw at the monster, which meant that magic would have to do.

She concentrated on the healing properties of her spell, closing her yes tightly before she threw her arms out in front of her and forced her spell forward. She envisioned the magic surrounding the skeleton and, when she opened her eyes, she saw that her spell had worked. The bones were smoking as though singed and it seemed like it had knelt down for the brunt of the attack. All the same, it looked even _less _happy with them than it had been a moment ago.

Then it did something completely unexpected. It crossed its swords in front of itself in a defensive gesture.

"What's it doing?" Rinoa asked in distress. It gave Selphie the impression that, despite the progress the raven-haired girl had made on her impromptu spell lessons, she was going to be pretty useless in this fight.

"Defending itself?" Selphie asked with a verbal shrug as she resigned herself to her fate. Deciding that shifting to defence would probably just waste more time than they actually had, Selphie assumed her casting stance, only to abort when she realized it was now charging straight for her. And she'd thought the monster had been quick before, now it was like some sprinter on a professional track team. Aborting her original plan, she held her nunchaku in front of her, assuming a defensive stance as she prepared to block the charge and force the monster back again.

"No, you _idiot_!" Came a shout from her right.

Selphie was so shocked by the sudden cry that when she blinked she was suddenly lying on her side on the ground, right arm pinned and throbbing from the impact it made with the stone. Something was pressed against her, keeping her down and when she looked up, she was surprised to realize it was a body. The skeleton thing had overshot her by a few feet and was turning around before resuming the previous stance. Rinoa had managed to duck out of the way as well and was currently pressed so far into the wall it was like she was trying to become a part of it.

"Do _not_ let that thing hit you!" Quistis shouted in reprimand. Something in the former instructor's features told her that it would be wise to listen and, with a gulp, she nodded almost meekly before being allowed to rise. "Run!"

Rinoa didn't need to be told twice, apparently only having needed to be given the order before her feet did the rest and without a backwards glance, the raven-haired girl was darting down the corridor with Quistis and Selphie hot in pursuit, Angelo sprinting at their heels. Selphie made the mistake of looking behind her and squawked when she realized the skeleton was giving chase. It's swords were still lowered in that strange stance as it sprinted full on, closing the distance between them.

_How can it run so fast when it's nothing but bone?_ Her mind screamed at her but she kept running all the same as the girls sped down the hallway. There didn't appear to be any more turns to take and Selphie was suddenly gripped with a panicked feeling. What if there was a dead end? What would they do then? Quistis seemed pretty damn sure they couldn't defend themselves against that thing, but they wouldn't have a choice if they ran out of space to run.

Up ahead, Rinoa shrieked and it didn't take long for Selphie to realize why. Her heart sank as she took in the sight of the stone wall coming closer and closer to them as she realized they were trapped. Even Quistis let loose a curse when she spotted it. Quistis and Rinoa managed to stop well enough, as did Angelo, though Selphie hadn't judged her stop very well and, tripping her own feet, collided into the raven-haired girl, sending them both into the ground in a tangled heap. Groaning, Selphie looked up to find the skeleton was almost at them and just as she raised her hand to cast a spell, she was startled when Quistis stepped in the path, her back turned to them.

Rinoa called for her to get back but before Selphie could try and manoeuvre around her, Quistis folded her arms across her chest. It was like watching something in slow motion as she made the deliberate move but them she stretched out in front of her, her palms almost touching and her fingers curled inward as though she were holding a ball.

The skeleton had just a few feet away before Selphie suddenly noticed what was happening. The air between Quistis and the monster was beginning to distort, the air looking twisted and wonky, like she'd just been on a fast moving spinning machine and had become totally dizzy because of it. The skeleton was no longer even touching the ground, almost rotating on the spot, spinning round and round like it was stuck in the dryer and it took a second for her to realize that it was actually shrinking, getting smaller and smaller as it spun faster and faster before disappearing in a sprinkle of powder that littered the ground beneath it, the only evidence that it had been there to start.

It took her a second to figure it out, but she realized she'd seen that exact same move once before. She'd been in the dream world, viewing the events through Kiros this time instead of Ward, and Ward had knocked both Kiros and Laguna to the ground when a monster they were facing had been about to use that exact same move. When asked about it, Ward had said he'd had a bad feeling, like he knew what was about to happen and didn't want to get hit with that strange attack.

But it was strange to know that this move that had come from that strange monster with the vacuum cleaner arms had just come from their Quisty, like it was nothing special. She'd never before heard of _anyone _being able to manipulate monster powers or abilities before and seeing someone she knew do it was very unnerving.

But those thoughts fled from her mind as she watched Quistis collapse onto one knee and, after untangling herself from Rinoa, she rushed forward to check on the former instructor. Rinoa was in hot pursuit, seemingly forgetting what they'd both witnessed and Selphie knew deep down that witnessing this event didn't change the fact that she was still the same Quisty on the inside. They could figure out the rest later.

When they reached her, the former instructor was pressing her index and middle fingers of both hands against her temples, as though staving off a migraine that just hit her full force. Selphie wondered if it was some kind of side effect from the attack.

"Are you okay?" Rinoa asked in concern as Selphie knelt down beside her.

The blonde woman nodded in response, her eyes drawn tight and her features paler than normal, but she was able to answer verbally. "It's just a side effect, a rather annoying one at that. It'll pass in a moment. I never did quite like that ability much."

"How _did _you do that anyway?" Selphie asked as she shot Rinoa covert looks, hoping she didn't get caught in the act. She didn't want to scare the client any more than she probably already was. If Selphie was having a hard time digesting this information, who knew what was going on in Rinoa's head at the moment?"

"I'll explain everything later," Quistis said quickly. The tone seemed to ask her not to argue. "But right now I've got something important we need to discuss."

"Wait..." Rinoa said after a minute. "Weren't you and Zell...?"

"Yes, but we couldn't go any further. We'd reached a dead end so we split up to find you. I think the code number may be in the very centre of this labyrinth."

"But you just said..." Selphie said. She was more than a little confused.

"I know what I just said. We'd reached a dead end," Quistis said, sighing in exasperation. "But beyond that dead end, there was a pillar sitting with a bridge blocking its side. Like it was some kind of entrance way. There must be a way of getting across it, but for now at the very least we thought we'd make sure it couldn't be anywhere else before we tried anything."

"Sounds like a plan," Selphie said as she turned to face the dead end they'd reached. But it wasn't a dead end at all. It looked like some kind of room at the end of the path, and Selphie assumed it was because of the panic of being chased that she'd missed sight of the door leading inside. There was a torch hanging off the wall, glinting off of some kind of statue, though there wasn't much else to the room. It was huge enough that they all would fit inside comfortably, but there didn't look like there was anything of importance inside. Still, it wouldn't hurt to look.

"Heeey!" Selphie exclaimed, pointing towards the statue. "Maybe we should look in here."

She ran ahead without waiting for a response from Rinoa and Quistis and went inside.

The room was littered with old skeletons. Selphie assumed that they were grave robbers who'd gotten lost and couldn't find their way back out. All the same, she checked them over in case they were the students the guard at the mansion had told them about. Sadly she didn't find a trace of the ID at all and her heart sank, wondering if it was moved away by one of the monsters. She gave that up and inspected the room itself, but she came to the same conclusion as she had originally.

"No go?" Rinoa asked. It sounded as though both she and Quistis had just entered the room themselves.

"No go," Selphie confirmed but then she brightened up as she thought of something. "Wait a minute…"

Closing her eyes, Selphie concentrated on her spell and, when she opened them again, everything in her field of vision was grey, with the exception of Quistis and Rinoa, who were a mix of red and yellow blurs. Scanning the room, she took in every detail, but it dawned on her suddenly that this was a waste of time. The ID wouldn't have an energy signature at all and it'd blend in with the other surroundings that were neither alive nor brimming with magic. This disheartened her all the more and she was about to tell the others just that when she stopped and realized something was amiss.

There were four energy signatures in the room in total, standing out against the grey backdrop. But, including Angelo, there should've only been three other energy signatures.

She turned to inspect the forth signature and realized belatedly that it was coming from the statue. She stared at it just to make sure, ignoring the other girl's inquiring questions from behind her.

But then it moved…


	29. Chapter XXVIII: Awakening the Gods

**Edited: **_06/12/10_

* * *

**Chapter XXVIII:  
Awakening the Gods**

* * *

"I saw it _first_!" He almost roared the declaration, a testament to just how past his anger threshold he'd become already.

The other male shrugged uncaringly, though he took appeared to be at the end of his rope. "It don't matter _who _saw it first. If ya have an open shot, ya take it. Who in their right mind would bow out 'cuz they wasn't tha first ta spot an enemy?"

He gave the shorter male a level look, almost as though daring him to interrupt him as he continued. "A dead dumbass, that's who."

_I cannot believe this is happening,_ Squall thought in dismay as he watched the pair squabble before his very eyes. When the situation had finally come to a head, he'd found himself rooted the spot watching it happen like a spectator would watch a game of tennis. Even now he found himself at a loss, almost disbelieving the events that he was witnessing at this very moment.

Then again, Squall realized he really should have seen this coming a lot sooner. He'd managed to convince the pair of them not to kill each other once the water monster had been dealt with, but ever since that point there'd been nothing but squabbling amongst the two. They were mostly inconsequential and immature pot shots, stemming from the way they looked to the things they said and how they said them, but it had long since past the point of starting to get on _his _last nerve.

_This_ was exactly what he'd been trying to avoid when he'd made up the two teams and he mentally cursed Quistis for putting him in this situation by suggesting her team split up. He didn't know how they'd decided who would go who, but if it was a vote, Squall wanted a recount if not a do-over. At least Quistis wouldn't have been easily goaded into a verbal war with the sharpshooter.

Then again, Irvine _did _warn them.

He slapped himself in the forehead at the reminder, trying to rein his own temper in, though he did entertain the notion of blaming the monsters for his teams' imminent demise should the situation escalate even further. The 'fun' part would be trying to explain how he alone managed to survive.

Once they'd dealt with the water monster, he'd managed (very barely in fact) to explain to them why exactly it would be a terrible idea to kill each other in the maze-like tomb, most important being the mission they had to execute. Squall had never wanted to be a diplomat and it was unfortunate that he found himself in that very position, being forced to grapple with his own temper at their behaviour. Neither Irvine nor Zell were making it very easy either.

Either way he was disgusted with the pair. From past instances at the Garden, Zell had always been prone to acting like a little kid, and it got even worse when he was around people he couldn't stand. Irvine wasn't fairing that much better, and it was getting more and more likely he would have to do some 'story telling' when it was time to meet up with the others.

For the most part though, the Squad leader had been able to tune out the incessant jabs at one another in the hopes that he would be left uninvolved. He had hoped that his lack of contribution would have given them enough of a hint to knock it off and concentrate on their objective, though it appeared as though he was far too vague in his approach. It had escalated from the most ridiculously childish name calling and insults to flat out competitions between one another whenever they encountered a monster.

When it'd first started, Squall had thought that, perhaps, they were channelling their energy into something productive, but that turned out to be a little too optimistic a thought. While they had become enthusiastic in taking out the opposing creatures, it went too far when they tried to kill each other in order to do away with them first. He still remembered the headache of having to stop Zell from attacking the sharpshooter when Irvine almost hit him while aiming at one of the armadillo monsters.

Making a disgusted noise in the back of his throat, Squall purposely strode past the duo towards the Buel they had been squabbling over. The monster looked as though it had been about ready to capitalize on the distraction, only to focus on the Squad leader as he unsheathed his gunblade. The bickering still continued in the background and was a clear indication that his actions were going ignored and it made him all the angrier, knowing that this had to come to an end.

Raising his blade in a striking position he thrust it forward, aiming to hit the Buel straight in its face, but the monster was wise enough to move, resulting in it losing two of the three smaller wings that kept it afloat and one of its bigger ones. The monster squealed and careened about in a desperate attempt to right itself, its one half trying to compensate for the loss of the other but to no avail. It began to fall steadily towards the ground in a zigzagging motion, blood oozing from the wound and staining the ground beneath it.

Squall judged where the monster was about to land and slammed the pointed edge forward. His aim was dead to rights this time, and the blade lodged itself right into the Buels face before Squall pulled the trigger, causing the back of its head to explode from the vibration and further staining the ground some more. The Squad leader noted, with grim satisfaction, that the loud gunshot jarred Zell and Irvine out of their ridiculous feud and had drawn their attention to the now bleeding (and dying) Buel they had been fighting over only a minute ago.

He drew the gunblade out of the Buel (_a Buel of all things…_ he ranted mentally), with a sickening squelching noise, allowing the beast to fall into a gruelling mess on the stone floor before whirling around to face the pair of them, his temper barely held in check. "It's dead. I win," he said bluntly, his tone even and controlled, but just barely. "Happy now?"

The two exchanged glances between one another almost warily but Squall didn't give them the opportunity to answer him. "Grow up. You don't see any of the others acting this way, do you? If anything they've probably already found the damned code by now. So pull your heads out of your asses and stop _fucking_ fighting each other already!"

And without allowing them a chance to even extend the conversation further than that, he pushed passed the pair of them and continued on their way, hoping that that was the end of it.

* * *

Her back hit the wall with enough of an impact that she was forced to bite back the cry of pain that almost wrenched itself from her. She was barely able to brace herself as she hit the ground but she had enough mind-set to roll out of the line of fire as a hooved foot landed in the spot she had laid seconds ago, an echoing crunching sound that spelled what would have happened to her head had she stayed a moment longer.

Pulling herself up into a kneeling position, she spotted Selphie tackling the creature from behind and wrap the chain of her nunchaku tightly around its neck in an attempt to suffocate it. She wasn't powerful enough as the monster simply grabbed her and threw her into the wall behind her, the blonde barely able to avoid being hit instead. Selphie hit the ground headfirst and somersaulted backwards, groaning as she landed on her backside.

Rinoa stood at the far end of the room, her pinwheel lashing out at the monster's back before retreating to the dock on her arm while Angelo charged over and snapped at its heels. The monster moved forward and out of range before the collie's bites could land, clearly unnerved by the animal's presence.

It turned out that the statue in the middle of the room wasn't really a statue at all. Its skin was purple and it was wearing a strange sort of armour that Quistis had never seen before. It stood hunched over, its light coloured chin at the same level as its chest and dark brown horns protruded from either side of its head. It was holding a long pole with a ball of spikes attached to the end; both hands secured on the bar. When it had moved, it had scared them all into inaction; giving it the opportunity to strike.

Quistis pulled herself back to her feet, still out of sorts from the recent use of Degenerator, but able to stand regardless of the pounding between her temples. She caught sight of Selphie doing the same, while Rinoa threw out her hand and hit the creature with a basic blizzard spell. It hit the monster right over the head and sent ice particles falling along its front and back. It stopped in mid stride – it looked as though it had been about to attack the two SeeDs – and slowly turned around, just in time for Angelo to leap up and tackle it full in the face.

The Minotaur-like monster fell onto its back, Angelo snapping and biting at its face, growling as she worked. Rinoa continued to cast magic spells at its feet, and Quistis and Selphie charged forward, intending to help. But the monster managed to force Angelo off of it by swinging its large weapon at her. The dog had the mindset to back away. Unfortunately, Selphie wasn't nearly as lucky, because the attack that had been aimed at Rinoa's canine companion hit her full in the stomach and she was barely able to grab hold of the spiked weapon as it prepared to swing backwards. Her grip didn't hold, however and the diminutive SeeD was thrown unceremoniously into Rinoa, knocking them both onto the ground.

Quistis focused intently on the monster as its back had turned to her, completely distracted by the two girls trying to pull themselves off the stone floor. She suddenly noticed something was amiss. There was a strange green energy trailing up the beast's legs and the cuts and scratches it had endured within the last couple of minutes were already beginning to fade. Each step it took seemed to sprout these vine-like lines and the former instructor achieved some inspiration from the sight. As convinced as she was, she wanted to make absolutely certain she was right.

Extending her right hand, she concentrated on her spell, feeling a breeze that was non-existent run through her and out of her arm. A blast of air hit the beast in the back but where anyone else would have just shrugged off the Aero spell, the monster cried out in sudden shock. A hole had torn through the material it wore beneath the armour from the force of the wind spell, but underneath it lay an ugly red mark that could have been from a burn.

Seemingly eager to end the fight, it raised its metal staff high into the air and brought it down hard enough to produce cracks in the stone. Rinoa and Selphie had dodged in different directions to avoid being crushed. Just as Quistis was about to throw another spell at it however, it charged down the hall and away from the trio, almost as though it were retreating.

"What just happened?" Rinoa asked after a moment of awkward silence.

"Quisty hit it with something and it ran with its tail between its legs?" Selphie supplied helpfully before tilting her head to the side. "At least, I _think _it has a tail..."

"It's an earth element," Quistis explained, bringing their attention back to the subject at hand. "I saw it absorbing the earth through the stone and healing itself with it. That's why I shot Aero at it."

"Oh!" Selphie said. "_That's _why it suddenly got cooler for a second. Well, what're we waiting for?" Selphie shouted, pulling herself to her feet quickly, nunchaku in hand. "Let's go after it and finish it off!"

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Quistis asked, folding her arms across her chest.

Selphie blinked in confusion and Quistis sighed in exasperation. "We're _supposed_ to be searching for that code number, remember? The one we're to bring back to the guard in front of the General's mansion."

Selphie lowered her previously outstretched arms, almost as though the weight of the nunchaku were too much for her. "Oh... forgot about that."

"So we don't really have much time to waste chasing after that behemoth," Quistis concluded with a nod of the head. "_If_ we run into it along the way, we'll deal with it accordingly. Otherwise the code number is our main objective."

"But what if it runs into the guys?" Rinoa asked suddenly. "Shouldn't we take care of it before it can cause us too much trouble?"

"The guys can take care of themselves if that happens," Quistis argued, shaking her head in response. "But chasing after it will expend far too much time. The mission is supposed to take place at the end of this week, and it's going to take nearly two days to get back. The less time we waste here, the better for us all."

"You know," Rinoa started, and there was an irritated edge to her tone that Quistis didn't like. "Not_ everything's_ going to fit into one neat little schedule. You have to account for things like this. I'm sure the others would say the same thing."

_I'm getting lectured by an inexperienced Resistance fighter?_ Quistis thought as she arched an eyebrow. She had heard all about the mission thus far from when she met up with the Timber team, and she had to say she had been most unimpressed. While Rinoa had proven that she could take what the monsters could dish out, she very obviously still had the perspective of a child. "Chasing around a large monster that just happened to get away won't bode well for us. If anything, it'll alert all the other monsters swarming this place to our presence, particularly Forbiddens – of which I would rather avoid, thank-you-very-much."

"Um..." Rinoa and Quistis whirled around to see Selphie raising her hand tentatively, as though she were in a classroom during a lecture. "What's a Forbidden?"

Quistis rolled her eyes. "The skeleton thing."

"Oh..." Recognition crossed the younger SeeD's features, while the irritation grew on Rinoa's.

"You don't need to talk down to her like that," Rinoa snapped, putting her hands on her hips. Selphie looked startled by the sudden change of the topic. "She's not stupid. And you can't be any older than her. How old _are _you anyway?"

"Not that it's any of _your_ business," Quistis said, folding her arms in front of her chest, "but I'm eighteen."

"You see?" Rinoa said triumphantly, as though she had just won the argument by that admission. "You're like, what, a year older? That doesn't give you the right to treat her like some little kid who answered a question wrong on some dumb test. Talking down to people is just rude."

"I'm _not_ talking down to her," Quistis snapped back indignantly.

"So what if she doesn't know what the stupid monster's called?" Rinoa continued. "Big deal. It's not like it's the difference between life and death here, and to be honest someone who spends all their time learning how to recite the names of the monsters of the world is pretty sad and should get a life."

"It is the difference between life and death if you know what you're dealing with," Quistis explained, biting back the sting of Rinoa's words. "Knowing all you can about the monsters in the area..."

"There you go again!" Rinoa interrupted and Quistis flushed angrily. "Quoting some stupid article out of a manual that I bet no one's _ever_ read in their life. Just because a manual tells you what to do doesn't mean you should go ahead and do it. Would you jump off a bridge if it told you to?"

"If you would stop interrupting me, maybe I'd have a chance to answer!"

"When have I ever interrupted you?" Rinoa snapped back.

"_Stop_!"

They turned to look back at Selphie, who had placed the nunchaku back on the holster on her back and was standing with her hands on her hips. "Fighting isn't going to get us any closer to finding that code. If anything, it'll probably let all the monsters in the area know where we are. Who _cares_ that we don't know what they're called, so long as we can stop them."

Rinoa grinned triumphantly but the expression fell as Selphie continued. "All the same, Quisty's right. Chasing after the monster's just gonna cause a headache, and I don't wanna get lost playing tag with the Minotaur who probably _owns_ this stupid labyrinth in the first place. Let's just find the code, find the others and get the heck outta here already."

Rinoa huffed with indignation and signalled to Angelo that they were leaving. As they made their way out of the room, Quistis took note how Rinoa had opted to avoid looking in her direction as she did this and rolled her eyes in response. If she wanted to be childish, that was her business. So long as it didn't interfere with their mission, she was fine with dealing with the silent treatment.

* * *

They continued down the corridor, weapons drawn (in Zell's case, fists raised), and eyes open in case they were attacked from behind. So far, they had been lucky, but that could change in a heartbeat, so they continued to advance with caution.

Zell and Irvine had unanimously decided on a temporary truce and had, as a result, stayed silent after Squall had told them off. The last thing the brawler wanted was the Squad leader to be pissed at him. Still, that didn't change the fact that Irvine was an asshole. It was like someone up wherever supreme beings lived decided that since Seifer was gone they had to make a womanising, gun-slinging clone of him just to piss him off.

It took a little while, but the trio finally reached a room at the end of the corridor. It took Zell by surprise since he'd been expecting to see a fork in the road like before. The room was pretty big and, if he had to estimate, he'd guess it was roughly around 45 feet long by 35 feet wide, with a very high ceiling overhead. There was no way out of this room aside from how they'd entered, but there were controls on the opposite side. Along the walls (including the doorway they stood in) were pictures of monsters he'd seen in horror films and there were pictures of eyes printed on the tiles of the floor that gave him the impression they were being watched. There was about five feet between the wall and the first of the eye pictures. From the vantage point he was at, he couldn't tell if the same was on the opposite end, but the pictures seemed to take up the whole width of the room.

"Someone's real creative," Irvine said before whistling. He was staring at a picture of a vampire lord, but Zell was willing to bet a ton of Gil that he had no idea what he was looking at. "Never seen monsters like these before."

"That's 'cuz they're not real," Zell said, inspecting a picture of a ghoul – a result of a vampire having drained the life force out of someone who wasn't a virgin. It was an ugly motherfucker, pale looking (though the picture didn't portray this), with sunken eyes and a blank and vacant expression on their faces. "These monsters are a part of fiction. That one you're lookin' at's a vampire. _This_ one's a ghoul..." he shuddered as he saw a creature portrayed with blackened and decaying skin, but wearing ceremonial robes. "That's a Lich... you don't wanna run into one of those..."

"These pictures have to mean something..." Squall interrupted, taking in his surroundings.

Zell turned his attention towards the eyes painted on the floor and grinned as he recognized some of them. "Hey! I think these eyes match some of the pictures!"

"So..." Irvine drawled, taking in one picture after another, "is this some kinda riddle."

"Maybe," Squall said. "This is the 'Tomb of the Unknown King' right? If a king really was buried here there would have been traps set up. I'd consider us lucky that we haven't run into any of them until now."

"And how..." Zell said before whistling shrilly. "So the floor and the walls have something to do with the riddle. I wonder what exactly."

"Hold on a second," Squall said before he closed his eyes. Zell knew what he was doing, but Irvine watched on curiously. It was like the guy didn't use magic or something. After a moment the Squad leader opened his eyes and Zell recognized the unfocused glaze, knowing exactly what had been cast scan. A moment later, Squall blinked. His eyes focused once again.

"Well?" Zell asked. Irvine scratched his head like a monkey doing a math problem.

"I can't tell for sure," Squall said slowly, crouching down to inspect the eye pictures on the floor, "but I think these pictures _are_ the traps."

"Which ones?" Zell asked tentatively. He didn't like the sound of that.

"All of them."

Zell frowned. "So what do we do? We could just cast float and hover over them."

"I doubt it'd be that simple," Squall said, rising to his feet. "The tiles were glowing strangely, not at all like when the scan spell detects magic. Each of them was a different colour. I couldn't tell you what they did without having to demonstrate, and I'm not altogether sure I'd want to. But if magic was involved, I think it'd be safe to say that we wouldn't be able to use magic to avoid the trap itself."

"We'll never know unless we try, right?" Zell asked with a shrug.

Squall shrugged right back. "You can if you want, but I don't think it'll work."

Zell closed his eyes and concentrated on the feeling of flying before grasping onto his desired spell and thrusting it out. He could feel the feather wings attach themselves onto his shoulder blades, but no sooner did they finish they dissolved. They hadn't even had the time to lift him properly off the ground.

"No go," Zell said reluctantly. "Guess the only way is across."

"Wait," Irvine said, directing their attention to him. "What about tha ceiling?"

"What about it?" Zell asked, looking up at it. Squall did the same. There wasn't much about it that was very special. The only thing he could see was a large expanse of stone and cement over their heads and it made him slightly claustrophobic just thinking about being buried in that room. But after a minute, he realized what the sharpshooter was talking about. There were hooks hanging from the ceiling. It kind of reminded the brawler of the monkey bars back in grade school in Balamb, before he'd enrolled in the Garden.

"I'd reckon those hooks're meant for someone ta cross on overhead and onta tha other side," Irvine elaborated. "If someone boosted someone else up, they could make their way ta that machine over there."

Irvine pointed at a strange machine on the other side. It looked like some kind of steering wheel from an ancient pirate ship. But judging by the controls behind it, the wheel operated something. He just wasn't sure of what.

"The ceiling's too high up," Squall commented. "Only two of us at the most would be able to cross over."

"I reckon you're right," Irvine conceded. "Not even _I'd_ be able to jump up that height. So..." he turned to look at the two SeeDs. "Who wants ta go on over? Or should we settle this tha ol' fashioned way?"

Squall raised an eyebrow and Zell wasn't too sure what the sharpshooter was talking about until he raised a fisted hand. Squall seemed to recognize what he was talking about, because he rolled his eyes.

"You don't mean...?" Zell started.

Irvine cut him off. "Rock, paper, scissor. It's the fairest way I can think of."

"Also the stupidest," Squall said as he folded his arms across his chest. It was obvious he was against the idea.

"Well what'dya reckon we should do? There's three of us. Too many ta flip a coin. Not much else 'round ta help us decide. It's democratic and fair. No one's gonna cheat."

"Let's just get it over with, Squall," Zell said, raising his own fist. Reluctantly, Squall did the same. "How do we decide?"

"Loser crosses over," Irvine suggested.

The three guys shook their fists in the air three times before making their choices. Zell chose rock, but both Squall and Irvine had chosen paper. The brawler frowned, but cracked his neck. He lost fair and square. "Boost me up, will ya?"

About a minute – and a ton of cursing – later, Zell found himself standing precariously on top of Irvine's shoulders with Squall spotting them from behind. Irvine didn't seem to be too thrilled with the predicament, but he was the tallest there, so he hadn't had much of a choice. Zell was barely able to reach the handles above the tiled floor and he reached forward, managing to grab a hold of the closest one. "You can move now!" Zell shouted below.

Irvine did so obligingly, rubbing at his shoulders and glaring daggers in Zell's direction, but the brawler didn't pay him any mind. Instead, he swung like he would on a set of monkey bars and propelled himself forward as he latched onto the nearest handle-bar while keeping his knees bent. This was a synch for him since, one time when he was bored back home, he'd jumped up onto a pole about ten feet above ground – it was attached to the car rental place just on the outskirts of Balamb Town – and had done a hundred pull ups without breaking a sweat. To this day he held that record. Balamb was very proud of it.

He finally reached the final bar and propelled himself forward, landing in a crouched position on the opposite side to where the rest of the team stood. Rising to his feet and, after stretching out his legs, Zell whirled around and flashed them both a thumbs up.

"Check out the machine," Squall instructed.

Zell shrugged in response. He turned back around and approaching the machine. He couldn't see anything that stood out from his earlier inspection of the equipment. It was ancient looking, and attached to some gears that led up into the ceiling. It was a manual looking machine and Zell realized after a minute of inspecting it that someone was going to have to turn the wheel to activate it.

Rubbing his hands together and flexing his arms out, he gripped the wheel of the machine tightly before trying to turn it. He grunted, gritting his teeth together as he pulled with all his strength, but he couldn't get the damned thing to turn. He continued the attempt for another minute before he pulled himself away from the wheel. His hands were stinging from the pressure and he found himself struck dumb – he was junctioned and he couldn't turn it on his own.

"Hey, Squall... can you come on over and give me a hand? I can't turn this thing by myself."

Squall didn't answer him verbally. At first, he thought that he was being ignored, but when he turned around to ask again, he was simply left to watch as he saw the Squad leader being hoisted up to the ceiling by Irvine. The taller SeeD then proceeded to swing over the floor below using the same handle-bars. Less than a minute later, the Squad leader had joined him next to the machine.

"On three," Squall said as he grabbed a hold of the wheel. Zell grabbed the other half of the object before nodding in response. "Three."

As one they both pulled on the wheel as hard as they could, and suddenly Zell felt it give a little. "It's working! Just a bit more."

Squall didn't respond, but did as told, Zell pulling as hard as he could while the Squad leader guided the wheel towards the brawler and, little by little, the wheel rotated. Zell couldn't help but wonder what the machine was doing as they were turning it…

* * *

"BRO!" He shouted as he made his way through the labyrinth. He knew all the short cuts to get where he needed to. He knew that his brother was sleeping, but this was important. There were intruders inside the building.

And they were strong intruders too – one of them had even had Wind magic on them. It was going to take both of them to deal with all three of them. His big brother wasn't going to like it, but there wasn't much he could do about it.

He'd just been standing on his perch in that special room he'd set up for himself when the three of them had come in. One of the Forbiddens had been chasing them down the hallway, even though they weren't supposed to be get anywhere near them. Then the Forbidden had disappeared and those people were walking into _his_ room like they owned the whole labyrinth.

Of course he'd fought them off. The ground had healed him after their attacks (which hadn't done much to him anyway), but it was the dog that had made him rethink his strategy. Then the one he'd left standing behind had hit him with the Aero spell and he just _knew_ he had to high-tail it outta there. They'd been looking for something, but what, he didn't know.

Then he suddenly realized what it could've been. For _years_ now he always found something that seemed to amuse him and he stashed it in the big box in the centre of the maze. His big brother told him they were s'pose to be guarding it anyway, so what was a better hiding place than the very thing they were standing watch over?

He reached the end a dead end that overlooked a pillar in the very centre of the maze and, as much as he hated doing this, he cast a spell on himself and white wings attached themselves onto his massive shoulder blades before hoisting him up from the earth that he loved so much. He guided the wings over the large pit below and towards the entrance, but a startling occurrence happened where it never had before. The draw bridge that blocked the entrance to the pillar was moving from its standing position, almost like someone was making it happen that way. From the looks of it, the intruders weren't alone _and_ they were a bunch of rotten grave robbers.

"BRO!" He shouted as he touched the ground again. The wings dissolved as soon as he'd started running. "We've got intruders! They're crashin' the tomb and I think they're heading this way!"

"Interesting..." A voice at the far end of the room spoke. The tone was much quieter than his, and he strained his ears in order to hear him properly. "They've already dropped the bridge, which means they should be heading to the very back of the tomb. Of course they'll have to come around to get to this room, and when they do, we'll be ready for them."

* * *

_First and foremost, to all of those people out there who don't think Squall would swear, I disagree wholeheartedly with all of you. Granted, it doesn't happen very often, but when he's pissed off - like with Irvine and Zell's bickering - then the occasional word will fall out of his mouth. I'm basing this on the fact that we are all human and (especially in this day and age), unless you have been raised under a rock all your life or completely oblivious of your surroundings and the different array of words people use or conjure up, you will know the occasional curse or swear. _

_Besides, the bickering bits were just so fun to write, even if somewhat unlikely (but with Zell, I wonder sometimes...)_

_Next, I wanted to portray the discord between Rinoa and Quistis. Later on, it just kind of happens so randomly that I decided there had to be something more. Quistis is emotional, I will concede that point, however she's also really intelligent with a lot of emotional training, and thus wouldn't let some 'Resistance Fighter' piss her off if they were heading off towards a mission. And where exactly had she gotten the idea that this whole thing was a game to Rinoa? She wasn't a part of the Timber mission and even if she had been told, I doubt Quistis is the kind of person who would take a person's word for it at face value. She's too smart for that and would want proof that this was fact. _


	30. Chapter XXIX: Bridge over Trouble Waters

**Edited: **_06/12/10_

* * *

**Chapter XXIX:**  
**Bridge over Trouble Waters**

* * *

"Um..." Zell said even as he wrung out his hands. They were sore from pulling on that stupid wheel lever thing and he wouldn't have been surprised to find the first of several blisters forming along the palms. "Did you guys just hear something?"

Squall nodded his head in response to the question, wringing his hands out as well from the strain. From his end, Irvine shrugged, turning his gaze towards the door they'd come in before returning to look at the two SeeDs. Zell didn't doubt that they'd all heard the noise, that distant _thud _amidst the creak of the wheel turning. The brawler knew, just _knew _that it was because of what they'd done with the machine. It had sounded a lot like something dropped from mid-air and onto something hard. Zell thought he'd heard someone shout too, but no one else seemed to bring it up, so he wasn't about to either.

Chances were he was just hearing things anyway.

"The lever must've done _something_," Squall pointed out with a verbal shrug, drawing up the same conclusion the brawler had come to. "It might have something to do with Quistis' theory. You said there was something blocking the entrance, right?"

Zell nodded. In the back of his mind he could still see the pillar with the bridge as clear as if he was carrying a picture of it. Squall spoke regardless of the brawler's thoughts. "Maybe it was a bridge. And maybe the lever dropped it into place."

"It's possible," Irvine called from his side of the room. "Maybe we should go check it out."

"I think we should be _sure_ that the code number isn't anywhere else before we go to the middle," Squall stated. "And if there were traps or other tactics to prevent grave robbers like the trap on the floor, chances are there'll be some kind of ambush waiting there. It might be better if we find the others before we do anything else."

"Speakin' of traps," Irvine said, drawing their attention before Zell could agree with the Squad leader. "How ya'll reckon ya'll getting on back over here? One of ya can't reach them bars on tha ceilin' alone."

Zell and Squall exchanged glances, knowing that the sharpshooter was right. It had taken Irvine's help to reach the ceiling, but they knew that whoever was boosting up the other wasn't going to be able to get back the same way. Zell doubted that the bars would be able to hold two people's weight initially. It'd be too much weight. That left the only other alternative as the floor, which meant they had to figure out the riddle.

But which one of them would stay behind and make the sacrifice?

"Hop on," Squall said through a sigh, unknowingly answering the question of who as he ducked down slightly.

"No way, man!" Zell said, shaking his head. "You can't be thinking about crossing over the floor."

"It's the only alternative," Squall said with another verbal shrug. "You're the smallest out of us three and because we need to solve the riddle in order for us _both_ to cross it, then it makes sense that someone bigger be the guinea pig. Besides, you recognized the figures in the pictures. That information might come in handy."

"But you're the Squad leader," Zell argued.

"Which is another reason why I'm doing this. Just climb on already, we don't have time to argue."

"Do what tha man says!" Irvine shouted before Zell could argue. "Whatever happens we'll be able ta fix it outsida this room!"

Zell scowled, looking from Squall to Irvine before finally sighing in frustration and hoping onto Squall's shoulders. The Squad leader then rose up slowly, so as not to off balance the brawler, and stood as close to the tiled floor as he dared. After taking a deep breath, Zell launched himself up, very nearly missing the bar and beginning to free-fall. He cursed, lashed out with his free hand and gripped the bar tightly in both hands, breathing quickly as though his heart had launched up into his throat.

When he had calmed down, he allowed one hand to drop from its gripping position and leaned out in order to grab the bar in front of him. He continued to do this for what felt like a very long time, but eventually he reached the end, where he allowed himself to drop, landing onto the balls of his feet. He leaned back by accident and almost fell onto the tiled floor but Irvine reached out, grabbing the brawler by the front of his shirt and yanking him forward. The teenager fell forward onto his hands and knees, breathing heavily from being startled, knowing full-well that Irvine had just prevented him from getting hurt.

"Okay," Zell said, rising to his feet once he'd regained his regular breathing rate, "let's get started."

"Anyone here good at riddles?" Irvine asked, sounding hopeful.

Zell knew he wasn't all that good at them. He thought Quistis might have been, but she wasn't there with them. Then again, if the riddle had something to do with these fictional monsters, there was a chance that she wouldn't be able to figure it out.

"Well, think about what we know so far," Squall called from his side of the room, avoiding Irvine's question. Zell had heard that Squall was fairly good with the riddles given to them as students in class and was suddenly grateful that he was here. "Monster drawings on the walls and eyes on the floor with no determinable way of crossing over the gap without actually touching the ground." He took a moment to look around the room before directing his attention back towards them. "Do some of these pictures look the same to either of you?"

Zell took a look around and realized that Squall was right. All over the walls there were at least two of every kind of monster. Judging from the look that crossed Irvine's face, he agreed. "Let's split up and start counting. We'll call out what our results are and take it from there."

They did just that, making sure that, if they stood near them, that they didn't come into contact with the marked tiles. Splitting the room into three quadrants, they counted the monsters along their allotted section of the wall. A few times Zell was forced to stop when he had to describe what one of the monsters looked like for Irvine and Squall's benefit – neither one of them appeared to be real horror movie buffs like him.

In the end they had pooled their results. In total, there were 6 Vampire pictures, 8 Shadows (ghost like replicas of a person they choose or come into contact with), 5 Zombies, and 7 Liches, Mummies, Ghouls, and Skeletons.

"So that's..." Squall started before trailing off suddenly. From the looks of it he was doing some quick addition in his head, "47 monster paintings on the walls. I'd wager a guess and say that there are the same amount of tiles on the floor that have eyes on them."

"So then this is a game of memory," Zell said and both Squall and Irvine turned their attention to him. "If Squall's right and there are the same number of painted tiles on the floor as there are pictures on the wall, then that means that there are 7 different kinds of boobie-traps in the ground. I think the pictures and the eyes represent what kind of trap is hidden underneath."

"So how exactly are we s'posed ta tell 'em all apart?" Irvine asked, tilting his head to the side in order to look at the tiles on the floor better. "They all look like eyes ta me."

"If they each trigger a different trap, then there's no way we'll know what it is without setting them off," Squall started.

"Don't even go there," Zell shouted back and Squall rolled his eyes. If they could find a way to avoid walking across, then they would. "Anyone got a rock or something? If we put pressure on each spot, maybe we can set them off and make a path that'll let you cross over."

Inside the room there were loose rocks everywhere. Irvine grabbed one off the ground and chucked it over towards the tiled floor. It landed on the floor, but nothing happened.

"It could be defective," Zell supplied helpfully. Judging from the looks he received from the others, they were just about as convinced as he was. "Okay, so just _rocks _won't set them off. What about if we added magic to them?"

"You mean infuse a stone with a spell?" Squall asked thoughtfully. "It could work... have you done it before?"

Zell frowned. He'd been hoping Squall had known how to do it. He wouldn't have asked if he did. "Guess that's a bust then..."

"What about casting magic _on_ tha floor?" Irvine suggested. Both Squall and Zell turned on him. "We've already tried magic around tha place. Tha only spell that doesn't seem to work in this room is float, right? Squall casted that scanning spell just fine, so why not just freeze the floor and walk across? It could work, couldn't it?"

"Maybe," Squall said, frowning as he took in the floor. Zell didn't think he was being all that optimistic about it.

"It's worth a shot, right?" Zell remarked, even as he dropped into a casting stance. He concentrated hard on ice, and threw his arm out, keeping it steady in front of him as he guided the magic across the floor.

Rather than emerge from the ground as a dome of ice, it seemed to blanket the area like the frozen surface of a skating rink (which was what Zell was actually going for). But as soon as the ice formed over the floor, it broke apart and melted. It was almost as if the tiles had suddenly turned into coals. By the time the Blizzara spell had completely melted, the tiles were smoking.

"Okay..." Irvine said, scratching the back of his head, "that didn't work as planned."

"The traps weren't set off either," Squall pointed out, frowning as he took in the tiles. Then the teenager closed his eyes. When he opened them there was the same unfocused glaze that came with the scan spell. His frown deepened as he took in the tiles. "No, there's still something there."

"Hey!" Irvine said. He had gone over to inspect the walls and was standing in front of one of the vampire pictures. But there was something different about that one. It was almost as though it was being written on the spot lettering formed across the portrait.

"What is it?" Squall shouted. Obviously he couldn't see what was happening.

"One of the pictures just got written on," Zell said. "It wasn't either of us. I think it had something to do with when I cast that Blizzara..."

"'A divine kiss'," Irvine read aloud, so that Squall could hear, 'one that hungers after pleasures of the flesh'. That ain't gross," he topped off sarcastically.

"It doesn't mean 'eating someone'," Zell said. "Vampires don't _eat._ They suck blood."

"I didn't need ta hear that," Irvine said. He looked disgusted by the explanation.

"So the picture just told us what a Vampire is and what it does," Zell pointed out. "I think that's what s'pose ta happen when you step on a Vampire tile. Irvine, try touching the portrait."

Irvine looked like he would rather do anything but what Zell asked him to, but after a moment of hesitation, the sharpshooter did just that. He fixed his palm against the wall, looking ready to pry it off the moment he felt something weird. As a result, the portrait glowed a bright purple. Zell whirled around, and saw that some of the tiles on the floor were glowing the same colour. "Hey! I think when we touch the pictures, it tells us which tiles are associated with the creature."

"I don't think this puzzle is about getting back out of this room unharmed," Squall called over. "I think it's more about getting out of here with the _least_ amount of injuries you can."

"So at the end of tha day, someone's gonna get hurt anyhow," Irvine said as he frowned. "That's how this trap was designed. Mighty brilliant if ya think about it. Stops the grave hunters real good."

"Then it's our job to make this as painless as possible," Zell announced, painfully aware of the unintended pun and hoping the other two opted to ignore it. "Leave it to us, Squall!"

Squall didn't say anything and Zell couldn't tell what he was thinking. His facial expression was impassively neutral.

Irvine removed his hand from the portrait of the Vampire. "So... where's the next painting with the writing?"

"I don't see anything," Zell said, frowning slightly. He didn't like where this was going. "Do you?"

Squall searched as far as he could and he shook his head. So far the only portrait with any writing on it was the Vampire one. "Sounds like a tile has to be stepped on before we get a clue as to what it does."

"Well that's useless..." Irvine said, shaking his head irritably. "Why bother readin' out tha clues when ya can't get ahead o' tha game?"

"Well, when you cast Blizzara, didn't that light up the description?" Squall asked. He was removing the straps holding his pack in place against his back off his shoulders. When he was done, the Squad leader held the bag by the handle at the top.

Zell realized what he was going to do a second before Squall did it. He tossed his bag forward over the stones and all three of them watched as it landed a good distance away. It was within reaching distance of Zell and Irvine, but they would have to lean forward in order to get to it.

Zell didn't think it was going to work. The Blizzara was a spell, and unless Squall had some sort of magical item inside of his bag, the tiles weren't going to light up.

As though to prove the brawler wrong, a green light shone from a spot on the wall behind Squall. "Hey, behind you!"

Squall whirled around and, from where Zell was standing he saw, text began to write itself across the stone, marking another message. Since he was alone on that side, it was up to Squall to recite the words, "'Gaze upon Medusa, stand in terminal awe...'"

"Touch the wall!" Irvine suggested and Squall did just that; the tiles that represented that particular monster lit up on the floor.

"Which creature?" Zell shouted.

"I _think_ it's a Ghoul." Squall answered, staring at the picture uncertainly. "Any clue on the riddle?"

"Stand terminal..." Irvine frowned thoughtfully. "Maybe it means a stop spell?"

"I think it'll turn you into stone if you touch it," Zell said. "Medusa was a woman who wanted to be beautiful and she stole some guy from some high ranking God. That's what the legend says anyway. So the God who got dumped cursed Medusa, turned her hair into snakes."

"Hell hath no fury..." Irvine quipped. Zell ignored him.

"And any guy who looked at her after that got turned to stone. That's the basic legend anyway."

"Petrification..." Squall confirmed. "Wonderful. I think I'll avoid that one."

"Good answer," Irvine said and he leaned forward, reaching and grabbing a hold of Squall's back pack. He hefted it up with some difficulty, but lost his grip after a moment and it dropped onto another tile. This time, a tile near the corner beside the door lit up and Zell bound over to read what it said.

"This one's a Shadow. 'Time moves, shadows fly, giants gather, worms die'."

"Anotha promisin' one," Irvine said, shaking his head.

Zell pushed against the wall and a light blue light shone from the portrait. Once again the tiles corresponding with the picture lit up. "I have _no _idea what that means."

"Well, what do shadows do in your movies?" Irvine asked.

"Attach themselves to someone and then bam!" He slammed his hands together and the sound caused the sharpshooter to start. "Usually, they just die, but I'm not sure that's what it'd do here. Movies and reality are two different things..."

"Petrification, and two others we have no idea about," Squall said, listing off their options. "I'm not looking forward to finding out about the other four."

"I'd rather know what I was steppin' on," Irvine said. "Anythang else we can use?"

Before Zell could do anything, Squall threw his arm out and a blast of thunder cascaded into the ground. It was dispelled before it could touch the floor, but another picture lit up suddenly. It was orange and there was no doubt in the brawler's mind that everyone was gonna know what this one was.

"Mummy, right?" Irvine drawled, and Zell nodded.

"'Weary traveller'," Squall read. It was on his side of the room once again. "'Sit at my side, drink from pestilent chalice of a thousand years'."

"Poison?" Irvine guessed.

"Sounds about right to me," Zell agreed. "Next?"

Zell threw his arm out, mirroring Squall's actions and watched as another thunder bolt hit another tile. A black glow appeared behind Irvine. The cloaked object in the tile didn't need identifying; it was a Lich. Irvine seemed to realize it was glowing because he turned around and read aloud what it said, "'Walk with me in hell, let tha flames light your way ta perdition'."

"That's probably some kind of fire spell," Squall guessed.

This time, Irvine pulled out his rifle, slammed a bullet casing into the weapon and fired twice, hitting two different tiles. One glowed a deep red, and the other was a dusty brown colour. Simultaneously, two portraits glowed, one on Squall's side and the other close to Zell. The brawler didn't understand why the tiles had lit up from the shots, but wasn't about to broach the topic since they had more important things to worry about. Zell went first, indicating the red portrait, "'A feast for five thousand. No fish, no bread, just beautiful flesh'. If that doesn't say Zombie, I'll take Irvine's gun and shoot myself with it."

"'Itching, burning,'" Squall read, ignoring Zell's comment, "'forever under your skin'. This one looks like a skeleton."

"See," Zell gloated, but he went ignored.

"Now to determine which one's the lesser of seven evils," Irvine joked.

Squall rolled his eyes. "Guessing isn't going to tell us."

And without another word, the Squad leader took a step forward onto one of the tiles in front of him before either of the others could stop him. It was wide enough for walls to surround him from all sides (not that Zell hoped that would happen) and there was enough space for him to stand comfortably. It meant he couldn't just jump the length.

The tile glowed red, and an instant later, the air was filled with the sound of tearing material. Squall gasped in shock and reached down to staunch the flow of blood from his left leg. It looked like something had reached up and scratched him – five long vertical slashes marred his jeans. The taller SeeD stared at the marks with an almost disappointed scowl. "That's _all_ it does?"

The brown light faded just as suddenly as it appeared. Squall inspected the tile quickly and then looked up to regard the other two. "The eyes are gone."

"One time use?" Irvine asked. He took a look around and startled in shock, drawing Zell's attention to him. "One o' tha pictures disappeared too."

"Sounds good to me!" Zell said. "That means we could easily make a path and cut the distance in half. That way Squall only has to go through half the traps."

"We don't need _all _of us incapacitated," Squall said, rising up into a standing position. "Cure spells won't work in here. I just tried one. Hopefully, whatever's binding the magic in here won't reach us from outside of this room."

"What about potions?" Irvine asked.

"I haven't got any."

Irvine reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small glass bottle with blue liquid. He was about to toss it over, but Zell stopped him. "What are you, nuts? What if it smashes?"

Out the corner of his eye, he saw Squall move diagonally towards the wall to his left. The tile he stepped on next glowed brown and Squall winced, reaching over and grabbing onto his left arm. Nothing had ripped his jacket open, but then he remembered about the skeleton clue. Whatever had happened this time, it had attacked from underneath his skin.

"Okay..." Squall said after taking a look around. "Someone touch one of the portraits. I need to know what's directly in front of me."

Zell obliged quickly. He ran over and slapped his hand over the portrait of the shadow. The tiles that corresponded with the monster glowed blue and it turned out there was one directly in front of where Squall was standing and another at the end of the row to the left of him.

Irvine was next. He touched the Lich and the black tiles lit up. There was one directly to the left of him and a few tiles ahead. He then touched the Zombie and red tiles lit up. One was diagonally across from Squall, and when Zell hit the portrait of the Vampire, a tile directly behind him lit up. Squall looked around his position and opted to take the tile to the right – one up from where he'd started, but the moment he did, an orange glow shone from behind. The portrait with the mummy lit up.

"Shit..." Squall cursed and nearly stumbled forward. He was able to reign himself in before he could set off another trap.

"Hang on, Squall!" Irvine shouted, and he whirled on Zell before the brawler could do anything. Taking off his trench coat, he handed it to Zell as he reached for his hat. "When I tell ya ta, hit tha damned pictures."

"What?" Zell said, but before he could get the sharpshooter to explain, Squall's voice stopped him.

"Irvine, I said stay where you are," the Squad leader said forcefully, looking as though it was taking everything he had to keep the room from spinning. Zell also knew that moving around would make the poison spread faster. Squall must have realized this too, because, aside from reaching into his coat pocket, he didn't make any more moves. He pulled out a container and opened it, downing the contents and keeping a firm grip on the bottle. Zell figured he'd just taken an antidote.

It was maybe a minute before the teenager dared to move again, but as he made to move further right, Zell realized with a sinking feeling that the antidote hadn't worked. It was obvious that the poison was still affecting him, making his movements look almost drunken-like while he knew the Squad leader was suffering from vertigo. The tile Squall stepped on glowed blue and an instant later, Squall had fallen onto his knees, almost as though he were about to pass out. The bottle fell out of Squall's hand and rolled over onto the next portrait. All of the skeleton tiles glowed brown.

With what looked like some difficulty, Squall pulled himself back up to his feet. Breathing heavily, he regarded the tile to his right with a veiled glare before he stepped forward. Another ripping sound filled the air and Squall fell back onto one knee. This time the slash hit him across the chest and he wrapped his arm around his front before shaking his head. Again Irvine made to enter the trap, but Squall's voice rung out through the silence, "Stay put." And as though to prove to them he could keep going, he stepped forward again.

The portrait of the Lich glowed behind the brawler, as did the black tiles surrounding him and, before he could do anything about it the tile Squall was standing on was engulfed in flame.

Despite knowing better, Zell summoned a spell and threw it forward. The water evaporated before it even reached his comrade. A moment later, the flames receded, leaving Squall lying on the ground, barely stirring.

"That's it," Irvine said, stepping forward. "Stubborn asshole's gonna get himself killed at this rate. Hit tha damned pictures."

Putting Irvine's coat and hat onto the floor, Zell hit all the pictures one at a time. The lights from the Vampire, Shadow, Lich and Zombie photographs revealed their hiding spots on the floor. Irvine nodded to himself before stepped forward and winced as nothing outwardly happened. Irvine cursed loudly, the words coming out both in common and in Galbadian. "Damn bastard didn't wince when _this_ happened to him!"

"What happened?" Zell shouted.

"Felt like my bones tried ta jump right outta mah skin. Fucking hell, it _hurt_! Why didn't Squall even flinch?"

"Squall's junctioned, you idiot!" Zell snapped, but he also knew Squall wasn't the kind of guy to give away signs of having been hurt. He wasn't about to mention that though. "You want me to hit them again?"

"Ya need ta ask?" Irvine snapped back and Zell repeated his actions, causing the lights revealing themselves once more. The one directly in front of him turned red, the one diagonal from him turned bright purple. Two spots ahead of him, the tile turned light blue.

"What's your gut telling you now?" Zell shouted at him.

"It's tellin' me that tha zombie tile ain't as bad as evrathang else," Irvine remarked and that was the tile he stepped on. Then, as clear as day, Zell saw nothing but air cut along Irvine's bicep. The sharpshooter winced as he saw it happen. Blood fell to the floor beneath his feet and he gripped his arm with his right hand. "Damn, that fuckin' hurts."

And without thinking about it, Irvine stepped to his left and stepped onto what Zell remembered was the Vampire tile. The sharpshooter swooned for a moment and looked like he was about to fall back, but fortunately he managed to stop himself from doing that. He shook his head, breathing heavily himself. "I hate vampires," he quipped and Zell couldn't believe the asshole still had a sense of humour after all that had happened.

He was almost directly across from Squall diagonally now. There was just one more tile and he would be able to reach him. Irvine stepped forward once again and he winced again. He didn't cry out this time but he grunted in pain, before turning on Zell. "Path's clear. Now get your ass over here and help me carry him!"

Zell looked and saw that Irvine was right. All the tiles the sharpshooter had walked along were free of eyes. He ran forward, careful not to step outside of the boundaries the path afforded him and, when he reached the last tile he stopped. Zell and Irvine crouched down and pulled Squall off of the Lich tile. They supported his weight and made their way back slowly across the path but didn't stop moving until they had made their way out of the opening that had brought them there.

They propped the Squad leader up against the wall and Zell fished inside of his bag for another antidote while Irvine went back into the room, re-emerging with his jacket and hat. The Sharpshooter reached into his jacket and pulled out the potion he'd put back. Beside them, Squall was still awake, mumbling incoherently as the fever fuelled by the poison worsened. From the sounds of it, he was disoriented. He probably had no idea they had gotten out of the room already.

"Antidote first," Irvine said. Zell didn't argue. The brawler handed Squall the antidote and forced him to take it. The SeeD drained the contents and shook his head wearily. Zell kept a firm grip on his shoulders, knowing he'd need to wait a couple minutes before the antidote took full affect, moving around had allowed the poison to spread, just as he thought it would.

"What the...?" Squall started, finally sounding like he was coming back to himself. He shook his head gingerly, and ran his right hand down the front of his face. "How did we...?"

"Irvine," Zell said. "He jumped into the trap and cleared a path so we could carry you out."

"Thought I'd... told you..."

"Stuff it," Irvine interrupted. "You weren't goin' nowhere. Fat loada good it'd dun us if we just waited there for ya."

"Need you alive..." Squall still continued to argue. Irvine looked like he was about ready to slap him. "The mission..."

"I didn't hear nuthin' 'bout tha rest of y'all bein' expendable," Irvine continued. "And how d'ya think it'd sound if we went on waltzin' up ta tha General and told him tha Squad leader went and croaked along tha way? Wouldn't fly by him very well, would it? Now shut up, drink your damn potion and rest for a minute, dammit."

Squall scowled at the sharpshooter and Zell grinned in relief despite the situation. It looked like the Squad leader was pulling himself back together.

* * *

_First and foremost: I would like to take this opportunity to thank a very good friend of mine, Tanin, for helping me with the trap in this chapter and a few others in later chapters. I also wanna thank Peter J. Marcroft again; he was the one who came up with the riddles. _

_And for those of you who are confused about the title; the bridge refers to the bridge in the centre of the tomb and the troubled waters is pretty much the price they had to pay for lowering it._

_The inspiration for this chapter was from the dungeoneering guide from Dungeons and Dragons. Obviously I tweeked a few of the traps so they would work better in this universe, but all in all I think I succeeded. Granted, this was probably a grating chapter to most of you who just want to get on with the story, but I promise that there is a method to my madness. _

_Can you tell I enjoyed writing this chapter?_


	31. Chapter XXX: Fitting the Last of the

**Edited: **_06/12/10_

* * *

**Chapter XXX:  
Fitting the Last of the Pieces**

* * *

Once they'd left that room with the statue, they had gone back the way they'd come, re-entering the fork where the Forbidden had found them. Selphie hadn't known how much time had passed between when everyone had first split up, but that wouldn't have done her very much good anyway since they hadn't actually marked the path they had taken earlier. So Quistis had picked a direction and she, Rinoa and Angelo had followed after her.

It was very quiet travelling down the corridor when Rinoa and Quistis weren't talking to one another. Quistis didn't act like she really cared that Rinoa was giving her the silent treatment, or even when she pretended that the former instructor wasn't even there to begin with. Selphie was just trying to stay out of it, but the silence was making her feel uncomfortable.

Angelo barked cheerfully. Selphie looked down and saw that she was carrying something over to Rinoa. The raven-haired girl stopped suddenly, crouching down and holding out here hand. The dog spat out the item – another potion, and Rinoa patted Angelo on the head before adding it to their growing supply.

Instead of looking impressed by the find, Quistis seemed irritated. This had been the fourth time since leaving the room with the Minotaur that they'd stopped and Selphie could tell it wasn't sitting well with her. She just hoped another outburst like before didn't happen.

Sighing loudly, Selphie wondered how the other team was doing. Irvine and Zell didn't seem to get along very well, but she doubted that it was anything like this. She was thankful that they'd managed to avoid running into any more monsters, because from the way things were going, she thought she might have to fight them all by herself while Rinoa and Quistis settled their differences.

It was a little while later (Selphie decided that she was going to buy herself a watch at the next opportunity she got), they reached another dead end. There was a wall with letters blocking their way. It looked suspiciously like a door, and the words that were scrawled along the front formed some kind of sentence:

_A_GREAT_  
TREASURE_  
LIES_HERE  
_UNDER_A_  
_CURSE_  
_AND_ONLY  
THOSE_MAY  
ENTER_WHO  
_PROVIDE_  
THE_CURE

"Weird..." Selphie said, reading the sentence over again. It was kind of weird seeing each letter had its own space. And the way that everything was lined up was kind of spooky too.

"Funny..." Rinoa said, tilting her head to the side. "I thought the treasure would've been in that central pillar thing Zell's group found."

Quistis seemed to ignore Rinoa's comment, because she stepped forward and inspected the sentence closer. After a moment, she stepped back. "I don't think there's a treasure past this door."

"But it just said..." Rinoa argued. She probably forgot that she wasn't speaking to Quistis.

"The part about the treasure is probably meant to confuse us. It's a riddle."

Selphie groaned. She hated wordy riddles that didn't make much sense initially. Why couldn't it have been something simple and easy to figure out?

"No doubt someone wants to keep us from getting into this room," Quistis concluded thoughtfully. "But according to the riddle, we need to find a cure for a curse."

"Lemme see..." Selphie said, grabbing her items pouch and sifting through it. "Something to counteract a curse... I've got Holy Water..."

"That's undead creatures, Selphie," Rinoa supplied helpfully.

"Yeah, I know, but they're _kinda_ cursed, aren't they?"

Quistis slapped herself in the forehead and Selphie whirled around confused. Did she say something wrong?

"It's not _that_ kind of a riddle, Selphie," Quistis explained. "The answer is in these words. If we had to pick an option they would have awarded us a variety of choices." She leaned forward once again, her nose almost touching one of the letters before she leaned back again. "The letters are buttons. I think one of them will open the door."

"Well, maybe they want us to find the cure?" Selphie suggested. "Which is simple really. They've got it staring us right in the face!"

Selphie reached over and pushed down the letter C, preparing to do the same with the other three letters, but all thoughts of spelling out 'Cure' flew out of her head as she felt an electrical shock flow through the door and into her body. There was only the sound of a current running through her before she fell back, landing unceremoniously onto her rear. She winced and groaned as her body still tingled from the aftershock and when the ringing in her ears ceased, she took in the startled expressions of her travelling companions. "Ow…" She whined loudly before she started to pick herself up.

"So all the letters are booby-trapped," Quistis said thoughtfully, "excluding the one we want to press. Selphie, are you alright?"

"Yep, just peachy," Selphie said sarcastically.

"That was better than _my_ idea," Rinoa admitted solemnly. "I was going to cast cure on it."

Selphie saw the look that crossed Quistis' face and was suddenly very glad that the former instructor had opted to keep whatever opinion she had to herself. It was bad enough having to cope with the two giving each other the silent treatment, which was only _barely_ a step up from the huge argument they'd had back in the room where they'd fought the not-a-statue monster.

The longer they stayed in the tomb, the more she hated it, and the more she wanted to just go find the guys, turn around and leave. Mission or not.

Instead of saying whatever it was she wanted to say, the blonde SeeD turned her attention back towards the door that barred their path, resting her chin between her thumb and index finger as she stared at the solid object. Selphie assumed she was thinking, but wondered why she couldn't do it aloud so she and Rinoa could contribute something.

Rinoa seemed think the same thing. Both girls exchanged puzzled glances between one another, but Quistis failed to notice. Selphie figured she was that far deep into 'thinking mode'.

The diminutive SeeD had no idea how long it was the former instructor stayed like that, but it had been a long while. She'd opted to crouch down onto the ground, patting Angelo on the head and scratching behind the collie's ears to occupy her, looking up occasionally in case a monster decided to stroll around. So far they'd gotten lucky and were being left relatively alone. Rinoa had apparently gotten tired of just standing and was leaning against the wall, her arms folded behind her back as she stared up at the ceiling lost in thought.

The tomb was abnormally silent, only broken once when she'd heard the sound of something _huge_ dropping down on a hard surface in the distance. Rinoa had started, Selphie had jumped (and promptly fell from her crouching position onto her rear again) while Angelo had risen to her feet, but Quistis – so lost in 'thinking mode' – hadn't even looked up at the sound. Selphie wondered if it was important enough to investigate, and had exchanged an enquiring look at Rinoa. The resistance fighter simply shrugged in response. It didn't look like she wanted to leave Quistis alone in the stone hallway and Selphie wasn't about to investigate the noise by herself, so it was left alone. At least for the meantime.

Eventually, Angelo settled down again and was lying next to Selphie, who continued her interrupted activity of scratching behind the collie's ears. Rinoa had lost interest in the ceiling above them and was staring at her shoes with a vacant expression Selphie could only assume meant she was lost in thought again. Waiting was boring. There was nothing to do but sit there until Quistis decided to break the tense silence – Selphie sure didn't wanna break the former instructor's concentration. But that got her wondering, if some loud noise in the distance hadn't rattled her, would asking a tentative question?

In the end, she'd decided she didn't wanna risk her skin to find out.

She looked up at Quistis and tilted her head to the side. It had been a really long time since she'd moved from that spot, and Selphie hadn't thought _anyone_ could stand that still for that long. Zell couldn't have done it if his _life_ had depended on it, and even Squall would've started fidgeting by now. She didn't know Irvine well enough to know either way.

For a second, she wondered if the former instructor had been petrified by some unseen force and decided that checking it out wasn't such a bad idea. Closing her eyes, she cast scan and when she opened them everything was black and white, the only changes being the heat signatures she recognized as Rinoa, Quistis and Angelo. She didn't see any magical markings – those would have turned up a brilliant green colour – that hinted to any magical properties on the former instructor, though when she looked at the wall, that was a different story. The wall was completely covered in it, the edges of the wall lined in the green colour of magic, but the rest of the stone was as grey as everything else. She assumed it was so they couldn't cheat and had to figure out the riddle for themselves.

Sulking despite knowing the former instructor was still alive, she dispelled the effects of scan and pouted as she folded her arms across her chest. That had turned out to be a bust. Sure, it had served as a distraction, but now what was she supposed to do besides sit there and wait?

She didn't receive an answer to the question and as a result, she and Rinoa were still forced to sit around and watch Quistis stand stationary for a while longer. Angelo had laid her head down on the ground, probably preparing to fall asleep. Selphie didn't think that was a bad idea at all, but thinking about where they currently were, she decided she didn't want to risk it after all.

After what felt like a really _really _long time, Quistis _finally_ moved. They had been stuck there for so long that Selphie thought she was imagining things when she saw Quistis' head move in a nodding gesture, but had been pleasantly surprised when she turned around to face them. The elder SeeD was smiling at them. "I've got it."

"You do?" Rinoa asked suddenly, looking up after having been startled out of her own thoughts. Quistis nodded in response.

"They want us to find a cure for a curse," she explained. "The riddle is the clue itself. 'Only those may enter who provide the cure to the curse'."

"It took you _that _long to figure it out?" Selphie asked loudly. "I coulda told you that after just looking at it!"

"It doesn't mean literally. It's word play. The answer is in the riddle itself."

"Oh…" Selphie said, still not completely understanding it. "So instead of throwing holy water, or trying to spell a word, there's a button to push, right?"

Quistis nodded in response before Selphie continued. "How do we know which button to push?"

"Allow me to answer your question with a question, Selphie," Quistis said as she raised her finger over the letter 's' near the very centre of the puzzle in front of them. "What word would you get if I took out the 's' in the word 'curse'?"

"You'd get the word 'cure'," Rinoa answered quickly and Selphie's jaw dropped. She finally got it too.

Quistis nodded in response and pressed the 's' button. Instead of being electrocuted like Selphie had been, there was a very loud click and the wall before them moved over towards the right. Selphie realized as she watched the object's movement that it was actually a door and not a wall like they had all originally thought. It took a while, the silence that had fallen had been replaced with the grinding of stone against stone. It was so loud Selphie decided that she would be wasting her breath trying to communicate with the others.

The door didn't stop until the left end of the door had hit the wall of the next room. Selphie had thought she'd heard another click amidst the loud noise, but Quistis and Rinoa didn't seem to have heard it. Maybe she was just hearing things. Besides, the stone was loud. How did she know she'd actually heard anything at all?

* * *

When he felt the floor shift beneath his feet, he knew there was going to be a problem.

No one had left the hall leading to the room with the eye traps until Squall had forced himself to stand up, and even then they had all hesitated for another minute. They were wasting time waiting for him to recover, time that could've been spent looking for the code number and regrouping with the others. Squall was almost positive that the girls were waiting for them near the front of the labyrinth, though with the monster encounters and the possibilities of traps in the area, he was becoming less and less convinced of this.

It had been a little bit since they'd had their short break and Squall found that the potions and antidote he had downed had helped him a lot. His fever was gone now, and the scrapes, bruises and burns he'd received from the traps had faded as well, while his surroundings had finally decided to cooperate and stand still. So to say that he was becoming more than a little irritated whenever he caught sight of either Irvine or Zell staring at him – like he was some kind of invalid – was little more than an understatement. He was perfectly fine now (well, not perfectly fine, but it wasn't any of their business to begin with), and he could continue their journey without their assistance.

The only good thing that had come out of the whole experience was that Irvine and Zell seemed to have come to a mutual understanding. There were no longer any threats of a fight breaking out between the two, and moreover they were actually willing to back each other up in combat, something that made the battles even easier. Squall mused that their being forced to work together might have had something to do with it, and he wasn't complaining. It meant fewer headaches for him at least.

He pointedly glared at Zell when he caught the brawler watching him from the corner of his eye. The brawler averted his gaze, but judging by the movement of his jaw, he could tell that Zell knew he was glaring at him. _Good_, he thought bitterly. _He can deal with that for the next while._

This routine continued for the next few minutes. Whenever he caught one of the two looking in his direction he would glare at them for the next couple of minutes before returning his attention back to the task at hand. After nearly ten minutes of this though, Zell finally seemed to muster the courage to speak. "I think we should take another break. Take it easy for a bit, you know?"

Squall narrowed his eyes, noting how Zell was avoiding looking in his direction, awkwardly looking up at the ceiling above their heads and looking for a focus point. There was no doubt in the Squad leader's mind that the brawler was lying about his reasons. Squall decided then and there that enough was enough and that now was as good a time as any to call him and Irvine both out.

That was when he'd felt the floor shift beneath his feet.

It was just a small shift, and any other time Squall wouldn't have paid it any mind, however it was just too reminiscent of the room they had just left for his tastes. Irvine and Zell seemed to agree with him. With the sudden movement their faces had fallen. Zell was actually looking around, thinking that perhaps they had tripped some kind of trap. Squall didn't think so. The walls and floor all looked identical, but they were also barren. With Quezacotl enhancing his eyesight, he would have noticed something out of place.

Regardless, he didn't want to be on the portion of ground when whatever happened happened, but before he or the others could do anything about it, the floor dropped out from underneath them. The next thing he knew, they were falling. He barely had the chance to think of casting a spell to slow their descent before he felt the contact of colliding in a shattering force. He broke through the force, his descent slowing as the pressure beneath the surface interfered with his movement. It took only a second to realize that he had fallen under water.

It wasn't very deep. He touched the ground almost as quickly as he had fallen into the water. Fortunately his descent had slowed him enough so that he didn't collide with the floor. The water – sea water from the feel of it – stung at his eyes and his lungs were burning from the lack of oxygen, and as a response, he manoeuvred so that his feet were planted firmly against the ground before pushing up. He broke through the surface sputtering, choking, coughing and gasping all in the same breath, hair matted to his forehead and partially obscuring his view. When he pulled himself into a standing position, he realized that the water barely reached his mid-chest.

The first thing he thought of doing was filling his lungs with the oxygen that had been expelled during the shock of the fall while taking in his surroundings. Above him was a hole in the ceiling (formerly the floor). The rest of his surroundings were dimmed save for the light from above. From what he could tell, the water he had fallen into stretched for a long while. His eyes – already beginning to adjust to the abrupt change in lighting – couldn't make out just how far, but he decided it was safe to assume that they were still in the Tomb. Or at least _under_ it.

A sudden thought tugged on his consciousness and he realized he couldn't see Irvine or Zell anywhere. He looked around for any sign of the others, his jacket – already heavy from the thick leather it was made of – was completely soaked through with the water, weighing him down even more. His shoulders were beginning to throb from the added pull, and he was sorely tempted to take it off. The only thing stopping him from doing so was the dilemma of where to put it. Tying it around his waist was not an option, and if he ditched it entirely he would lose the combat knives he had securely fastened inside of his sleeves. He would be in even worse trouble if he needed them and couldn't get to them.

Then, a little ways ahead of him, the surface broke from the calming lake, and Squall instantly recognized the brawler's form. His hair was equally soaked, with the front layer – usually sticking up on end – laying flat in front of his forehead. Zell wiped them out of view almost instinctively as he sputtered and gasped, the water sitting higher up on his chest, nearer to his neck. Then, when Squall assumed the younger fighter would search out his comrades, Zell made a jerking motion from beneath the water, and a second later Irvine joined him, his hat conspicuous in its absence. Squall had the distinct feeling he knew where it was.

Zell looked around as Squall waded over to them, the muscles in his arms straining from the weight of his jacket, but he managed to manoeuvre in the water a few feet before Zell finally spotted him. By the time he reached them, Irvine had whirled around, probably trying to see what Zell had. His hair, being much longer than either of the SeeDs, was splattered in his face and he ran his hand up from his chin in order to move it out of the way. Though his trench coat was also weighed down from the water it had absorbed, the sharpshooter moved a little easier than the two SeeDs, as the water was only waist level on him.

"This _asshole_," Zell said, indicating Irvine when Squall caught up to them, "went after his _stupid_ hat! I saw him do it and dragged his ass back up here before he could drown!"

Sure enough, Irvine withdrew the hat from beneath the water, glaring at Zell balefully as he said, "It's my lucky hat! What'd ya want me ta do? Leave it behind?"

"So far the luck's not rubbing off!" Zell shouted back. The brawler shook his head to get the access water out, and ended up spraying his comrades in the act. "And besides, the water's not _that_ deep! It would've floated back up here eventually!"

"It ain't _that_ kind of lucky hat," Irvine said and smirked when Zell turned red. He couldn't tell whether the brawler was embarrassed or furious.

So much for their truce.

"No fighting," Squall said before Zell could say anything. "Next time we need to go somewhere – anywhere for that matter – _someone _remember to get a damned map."

The Squad leader sighed in exasperation before turning his attention towards the ceiling above. "We probably could've figured out there was an underground waterway if we had one."

"Like Quistis said though, there probably isn't a map of this place. Still, we coulda taken a better look at the moat surrounding the tomb," Zell supplied helpfully. Squall glared at him and the brawler put his hands up defensively. "Shutting up, sir!"

He snapped his hand into a hasty salute; as a result, he ended up throwing more water up into Irvine's direction and the brawler winced at the glare he received.

"Wait... we're _under_ the tomb?" Irvine asked incredulously, seemingly forgetting about Zell's clumsy act.

"Probably," Squall said with a verbal shrug. "The water might lead to the centre path, or even back to the start."

He frowned thoughtfully, trying to get his bearings straight as he took in his surroundings once more. He knew they had been continuing down a path out of the room with the controls and the stupid tiles. From what he could gather, they had gone north to reach that room. Once done there, they had gone back the way they'd come and then continued further east. He knew direction was not an easy thing to assume in the tomb, and the more he thought about it, the less certain he was. And even if he could discern where north was, there was still no guarantee that the water forked along like the paths up top. He wouldn't have been surprised if there was a whole lake beneath the tomb.

"The entrance of the tomb faced Dollet right?" He said aloud, more to himself than to receive any contribution from the others. "That means we were facing east when the floor dropped out on us."

"The water's not going nowhere," Irvine supplied. "Don't think there's a means for it ta travel."

Squall frowned. He'd been hoping he would be able to discern their current location by using the water, but if it was motionless then there was very little point.

"Hey, look over there," Zell said, pointing straight ahead of him. Squall turned to his right (the brawler was to the left of him) and noted that, in the distance, there was something protruding beneath the water. The water wasn't very deep, but the structure was tall and shot out past the floor above. It might have been the pillar that Zell and Quistis had found earlier.

"Judging by that structure," Squall said, "I'd say we're facing east now. That thing must mark the very centre of the tomb."

"Tha current's non-existent," Irvine shrugged. "Shouldn't be too hard to make our way on over. Maybe even find a way ta scale the walls and reach level ground again."

"And if we can't?" Zell asked uncertainly.

"There's not much else for us to do here besides try," Squall said with another verbal shrug. "If we don't, we're risking hypothermia. At least it's something we can do."

* * *

The room they walked into was very simple looking. The walls curved on either side, and there appeared to be a ramp leading out of a window. Quistis had to stand on the tips of her toes to look out of it, and found that they were somehow beneath the moat surrounding the tomb. The ramp was positioned at the top a block of stone that looked like it could be removed from its spot and led through a hole in the floor. Aside from the hole and the ramp, there wasn't very much to the room at all.

"_This_ is where the treasure's s'pose ta be?" Selphie exclaimed. She sounded like she was disappointed.

"I said it was just a wordy riddle," Quistis supplied with a shrug. "Maybe there's something in here that's of use."

"Maybe there's something in the hole," Rinoa suggested.

The three girls took a look through the hole, but Quistis couldn't see anything even though she was junctioned. It was just far too dark. The former instructor frowned thoughtfully knowing that if there was water along the side of the floor everywhere but the two rooms they'd been in, then it was very likely that there was some water down below.

"Hold on a sec..." Selphie said after a moment of silence. She held up her hand a summoned a fire spell, but instead of throwing it at something, she held the flame over the hole and the three looking down again (Rinoa made sure that she was further away from the fire). Quistis wasn't surprised to see a reflective glow from below. It proved her suspicions.

"Where does the water lead then?" Rinoa asked.

"Doesn't look like it's moving," Selphie shrugged. "Maybe it just sits there."

Rinoa wrinkled her nose just thinking about how dirty it must have become. Quistis shook her head before redirecting her gaze towards the ramp. "Well, maybe the water from the moat is supposed to pour down this hole."

"But why would it do that?" Rinoa asked.

Quistis frowned thoughtfully, trying to figure out the answer to that herself. After a moment, she came up with a guess. "What if the water is supposed to fill up that centre path? The one with the gap I told you both about? If the water level were to rise up, it'd all be a matter of swimming across."

"But what about those Blorba things," Selphie said, shuddering slightly. Quistis had told them the monsters names as they'd continued to travel. "They seem to just pop outta the water, right?"

"While that's true, as long as we have thunder magic, I don't suppose it'd be too much of a problem. Either that or we find some sort of means of treading the gap. So far we haven't found the code number anywhere else. That means the guys may have already obtained it or that it's inside that central pillar."

"So are we pulling the block out of the wall or not?" Rinoa asked.

Quistis turned to Selphie. The diminutive SeeD had been the only one to raise an objection after all. After a moment Selphie shrugged, "I don't have a problem if no one else does."

"Then we'd better set to work," Quistis said, grabbing a hold of the stone slab. Rinoa and Selphie stood on either side of her and followed suit, pulling as hard as they could and, slowly, the slab moved from its position in the window before finally dropping with a loud thud onto the floor.

The ramp shifted lower. It filled the gap in the window, so when the water started flowing through, none of it hit the floor or any of the girls. Quistis, who had been forced to duck beneath the object, crawled out from underneath the ramp and stared at the water as it flowed underneath them. What purpose it would serve, she had no clue...

* * *

They hadn't made very much leeway when they suddenly heard a distant rumbling. He didn't know what it was or where it was coming from but after a few seconds had gone by he realized it was coming closer. There was something inside that told him it wasn't a good thing.

"Anyone _else_ hear that?" Zell asked. Irvine stopped moving and, judging from the look on his face, he had. "Wonder what it is?"

As the sound got closer, Squall suddenly realized the part of him that was sticking out of the water was getting wetter. Looking down he realized with a start that the water level was rising. They hadn't reached a gap in the floor overhead and at the rate the water was rising, there wouldn't be much space between the water and the stone above their heads.

"Keep moving!" Squall shouted. Irvine and Zell had taken in their predicament. The water was already reaching Zell's shoulders and it wouldn't be long before it went up over their heads.

"Aw man, _another_ trap?" Zell shouted, but they all took off towards the pillar in the distance.

Just as quickly as they started though, Squall saw stone walls lowering to bar their path. There was only a ventilation system that seemed to be meant for leaking the water through and, from the looks of it, there was no way any of them would be able to fit through it.

Squall tried to turn and found that his feet had been lifted from the ground. The water was rising faster and faster around them. "Back the way we came!" Squall shouted. Everyone turned around and swam in the opposite direction.

The air (or what was left of it anyway) was disturbed by the sound of grinding stone. As they drew away from the centre of the tomb, he realized that their only other exit was being sealed off as well. Whatever doubts he'd had about triggering another trap were banished from his mind. He didn't stop swimming though. Survival instinct had kicked in and, despite knowing in the back of his mind he wasn't going to make it, he had to try. But by the time he reached the area, the wall had already lowered itself past the water and even if they were to dive, there was no guarantee that they would be able to swim fast enough to move under it before it reached the floor. There was no getting through.

With nowhere else for the water to go, the water level began to rise even quicker. Soon Squall could make out the ceiling overhead beyond the shadows. Their odds didn't look very good and neither did their choices. They could either get crushed between water and stone, or drop under the surface where they would eventually drown. It made the original threat of hypothermia look like child's play in comparison.

"Grab my arm," Zell suddenly said.

"What?" Irvine asked beside him. "Why?"

"Don't ask questions. Just do it!" Irvine looked hesitant and Zell growled in exasperation. "You wanna become a human pancake?"

Squall didn't know what Zell had planned, nor did he care. At least someone had a plan and it was better than letting the inevitable happen. Swimming over, Squall grabbed Zell's arm as instructed and, reluctantly, Irvine did the same.

"Now hang on tight," Zell said, and he closed his eyes.

The ceiling was getting steadily closer. Whatever it was Zell was doing, Squall hoped he did it faster. The weight of his jacket was pulling him down. Judging from the expression on Irvine's face he was suffering the same problem. By the time Zell finally reopened his eyes, the ceiling was barely a couple of feet away.

"Take a deep breath!" Zell shouted before doing precisely that.

Squall inhaled deeply, hearing Irvine following suit and suddenly, he felt something pull him beneath the surface. It was almost enough to expel the air he'd just taken in from his lungs. He ended up letting go of Zell's arm, but the brawler grabbed him before he could drift away. His eyes stung from the salt water, but he refused to close them when he saw something shimmering in the water, not knowing what it was or whether or not its sudden appearance was a good thing.

He could just barely make it out. It was the same colour as the water that surrounded them on all sides. Long and serpentine like, its face was needle like, not unlike a snake's. It had fins at either side of its head and wings along its neck, sharp looking scales trailing down what would've been its spine.

Zell gestured for both Squall and Irvine to grab a hold of the creature and they did. Squall held on for dear life as Leviathan, the water Guardian Force, guided them against the current, leading them to safety.

After about a minute, Squall was forced to clamp a hand to his mouth. It was getting harder and harder to hold his breath and with the speed they were travelling at it would only be a matter of time before he really needed to draw air. Irvine and Zell were in similar conditions as him, though Zell refused to remove either of his hands from Leviathan's back.

He didn't know where they were going, or whether the Guardian Force was bringing them to safety. For all he knew, the GF could've gotten as lost inside the tomb as they had, and be running around in circles. The constant stinging in his eyes was getting too painful so he closed them tightly, forcing himself to concentrate on holding his breath and keeping a tight grip on the GF.

He could tell which direction they were moving in by the sudden jerking motion that would coincide with Leviathan turning sharply. With each sharp turn, Squall tightened his grip on the GF's back until they were suddenly rising up. He didn't know where they were being taken, but suddenly the pressure from the water surrounding him lessened considerably. There were startled cries and exclamations of surprise and he felt himself hit the floor hard, hearing Zell curse loudly.

Squall drew in a shaky breath before coughing loudly. He was dripping water on the floor beneath him as he tried to pull himself together.

"Are you alright?"

The voice sounded familiar. Squall took a moment to take in his surroundings. He was in a small room with a window, a ramp leading down into a hole in the floor that was pouring water. On his left were Irvine and Zell – they were looking around the dull looking room themselves, dripping water all over the floor like him. But standing at the furthest corner from them were the girls. Quistis had her hands covering her mouth with a worried expression creasing her features, Selphie looked as though she was trying not to laugh at them and Rinoa appeared unable to decide whether to look worried or amused.

Finally, the diminutive SeeD couldn't hold it in any longer. She snorted before bursting into a fit of giggles, pointing in the general direction the guys were lying in before the sound erupted into full out laughter. Scowling, Squall grabbed a fist full of his hair and rung it out, dripping more water onto the floor. Selphie doubled over, clutching at her stomach as she continued to laugh. Zell was openly glaring at her while Irvine removed his trench coat and hat, starting the process to wring the articles out.

"Where did you all come from?" Quistis asked loudly, attempting to drown out the other SeeD.

In turns, the three males explained to the girls everything that had happened, from the trap door in the floor to the sudden isolated room they were in as it began to fill with water. By the time Zell had added the fact that he'd summoned Leviathan to get them all out of there, Selphie had stopped laughing and each of the girls was wearing an expression of shock. Squall couldn't be sure, but he thought he registered guilt somewhere in there as well.

"I _knew_ I heard some kind of clicking sound," Selphie said after a moment of shocked silence. "After the door opened, I mean. That must've dropped the floor right out from under you guys."

"And the block that kept the water from running down the ramp..." Quistis trailed off in horror. "We could've killed you all and we'd have never realized it."

"No biggie," Zell said as he rung out his pants.

"Huge biggie," Rinoa argued. By the tone of her voice she was incredulous at how nonchalantly they were taking the news. "You all could've drowned down there!"

"But we didn't," Irvine shrugged. "It was an accident. Y'all couldn't have known that'd happen gettin' inta this room."

"Let's just drop it," Squall said as he did his best to dry his coat off. He decided not to mention that they had already gotten wet once before. He also decided not to mention that it had been Zell's fault. "The trap was obviously designed with multiple intruders in mind. Whoever built it probably assumed the pack would split into several groups and entering the room would allow one group to be taken out unawares. Like Irvine said, you had no reason to believe we'd be down there in the first place."

He sighed in exasperation at the look the three girls were giving him. They didn't seem like they were willing to let the subject lie so easily. Knowing it would have to be breached again at some point, he decided to steer the topic back to why they were in the tomb to begin with. "Did you find the code number?"

"We thought you guys might've," Rinoa said.

Squall frowned. That was not what he'd wanted to hear.

"We'll just have to check the central path again," Quistis sighed, shrugging as she did. "That's why we had the ramp lowered. We thought that perhaps the water would drain into the centre around the pillar and serve as a means of crossing over. Unfortunately, the Blorbas – water-like blobs," she corrected when Irvine and Zell shot confused looks at her, "seem to thrive in the water, so there'd be no way to get across without attracting their attention."

"There might be a way," Zell said, and he told the girls about the machine they'd operated inside the room they'd come across, and about their theory that they'd dropped a bridge.

"If you're right, then that'll make everything easier," Rinoa exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Piece of cake!" Selphie cheered after her, grinning from ear to ear.

"But first we'll have to get over there," Squall interjected. "From what we saw down there, this room is the very back of the tomb. If we want to get back to where the dead end leads to the centre of the tomb, we'll have to figure out the quickest way of getting there."

"Well then," Quistis shrugged again as she headed for the exit, "we'd better get started then."


	32. Chapter XXXI: Grounded Family

**Edited:** _03/08/09_

**Edited: **_06/12/10_

* * *

**Chapter XXXI:  
Grounded Family**

* * *

It took them a while to get back to where they'd first started. Because the group of six had been forced to start from the very back of the tomb, it was to be expected. But it didn't take nearly as long as they thought it would.

For starters, the monsters didn't prove to be as much of an obstacle to fend off now as they had been before, especially since they were currently travelling in much higher numbers. Against the odds of four SeeD members who could utilize magic, a sharpshooter and a girl with an attack dog, the monsters didn't stand much of a chance. The only monsters they regularly ran from were the Forbiddens – skeletal like monsters that carried swords and wore old and worn out armour – and that was only because they didn't have enough potions between everyone to take them down.

Because the tomb was one giant circle with a lot of twists and turns, they had opted to go back the way the girls had come, an easy enough task since, unlike the guys, they had marked the pathways with magic. It seemed like they were taking more left turns then right, but no one complained. At least they had _some_ means of getting out.

After nearly an hour of wandering around the tomb (Squall and Quistis were both wearing watches), they finally reached the entrance of the tomb, the bright light practically burning at their eyes – which by then were so used to the dim or dark surroundings. Upon confirming that this was the way out, they had all (reluctantly) turned back around. They still needed to find the code number before returning to the city and meeting with the Galbadian General.

Zell took a lingering look towards the light that was coming from the entrance way before turning around and following after the others back down the corridor and back towards the first junction they had come across. The brawler recognised the mark in the stone floor from when they'd initially gone their separate ways. According to Squall when he'd asked, they had been in the tomb close to five hours now.

Knowing which way they would go this time made things a lot easier. They headed straight ahead, down the path that Quistis and Zell had trekked through so long ago. He hadn't noticed it before, but the central path started to get brighter the closer to the centre they got. Everyone was on alert. Irvine had a gloved hand on the shotgun strapped to his hip and Quistis and Squall were also gripping their weapons. Rinoa had activated her pinwheel in case she needed to launch it at something in the distance – the still silence was disturbed by the mechanical whirl as the rotary blade spun on its holster. Only Selphie appeared as though she weren't on alert, but knowing the kinds of spells she could cast, he wasn't about to object to her lack of caution. Her reaction time with spells was much faster than with her nunchaku, which was strapped along her back beneath her bag.

They walked in silence for the next few minutes until they reached the end of the corridor where he and Quistis had been forced to turn back. However, where they hadn't been able to continue on before, they could now. The draw bridge that had originally been blocking the central pillar from view was now laid out flat, giving them a clear path to the chamber that was inside. He and Quistis had been right to assume that there was an opening that had been blocked originally. Also, the water that had poured through the hole in the room in the far back of the tomb had filled up the gaping hole that had originally been present. If they hadn't dropped the draw bridge, they probably could have easily swum the distance if they were careful of those water-blobby creatures.

_One person almost bought it dropping the bridge,_ Zell mused to himself morbidly. _And three people nearly drowned filling the gap. There better be something worth all the trouble in there._

The blonde brawler still found it strange that once they'd started down the middle path they hadn't encountered any monsters. That in itself was enough reason to believe there was something huge in the middle pillar. But he didn't think anyone was willing to risk as much as they'd already risked just to find out what it was. Still, it was the only place they hadn't looked in the tomb. The girls had looked in all the rooms along the right hand side and the guys had looked everywhere they were able to down the left path. Without saying a word, everyone started across the bridge to investigate the other side.

There wasn't much to look at along the way. There was water that surrounded them, the pillar just ahead and the stone walls that kept them enclosed from the rest of the place. The only difference was that the ceiling in this area was much taller and the area itself was much wider and even brighter. Moss still covered the ceiling above them, but the height and circular shape of it made it look more like they were inside of a regal looking cathedral. Zell wondered for a brief second if the ceilings were as high up in Caraway's mansion as they were here, but he shook the thought out of his mind, since – of course – the Galbadian General wasn't royalty.

Despite the quiet and lack of anything else outside of the pillar with them, everyone stayed on alert, walking slowly and cautiously across the bridge – which was wide enough to fit them all comfortably. Zell was, once again, reminded of the bridge in Dollet. The only thing missing were the stupidly low ledges that were probably supposed to keep people from jumping off it, and the ridiculously tenacious machine spider leaping up into the air to bar their path.

No amount of therapy was gonna make him forget about the Field Exam any time soon, if at all.

The inside of the pillar was much bigger than what the brawler could've imagined. The exterior gave the impression that it was small, given the comparison of the area outside of it, but it was really big; more wide than long, but still huge enough to make him feel small and insignificant. It was probably the most important looking room in the entire tomb. Unlike everywhere else they had been, the walls were clean and tidy looking. There was moss still collecting against the corners and along the edges between the bottom of the wall and the floor, but it was almost like someone had taken the effort to keep the corners beneath the ceiling – where they had seen the most moss collect – tidy. The floor was also eerily clean. Normally when he looked at the stone floor of the tomb, there was dirt and grime that had collected between the cracks, but in here, they were completely bare and clean, like someone had taken a toothbrush to them. The floor itself looked as though it had been properly swept at least once a day.

The ceiling, much like the one outside of the room, was regal looking, but it gave off an air of importance that the outside was lacking, like this room really had, at one time, belonged to a king, or someone of royal descent. Near the end of the room was a giant step that stretched the width of the room, and resting on it was some kinda old looking coffin. It might have been made of gold, but the colour had dulled significantly with time and age. It was a contrast to the upkeep of the room, but never the less important looking.

And standing on top of the coffin, like it didn't weigh a thing, was a Minotaur with a giant spike on top of a metal bar. The weapon was designed to be swung like a hammer, but cause a lot more damage. The creature was also wearing a strange looking armour that brought Zell back to history classes in the Garden. It was purple in colour, with horns protruding from its head, and on its left shoulder was a large metal plate that reminded him of Fujin and Raijin's armbands. It had an ancient symbol drawn onto it, but Zell couldn't understand what it said. He didn't think even Quistis would have known what it meant.

"So you're back for round two, huh?" The Minotaur shouted. His loud and booming voice echoed off the walls and left a ringing in the brawler's ears that he tried to shake out. "Now you're _really_ in for it! Ya shoulda left when ya had the chance!"

"_That's_ the thing that attacked you?" Zell heard Squall ask Quistis, who nodded in response.

"I took it easy on ya the last time, but _now_ it's for real!" The Minotaur shouted, ignoring Squall's question to Quistis. "'Coz _now_ my big brother's gonna wipe the floor with _all_ of ya!"

So far, Zell was unimpressed. The Minotaur seemed like the kind of guy who got his ass handed to him and then ran off to tell someone who could do something about it. It was kind of like Zell's years in grade school before his mom had applied him to the Garden. Being naturally short for his age even back then, the bigger kids in school would always push him around and pick on him. If he managed to stand up for himself and knock the shit out of the bully who was trying to shove him around, at the next recess an even bigger kid – usually an older sibling – would show up to 'teach him a lesson'.

Zell had always thought those kind of people were cowards, the big kids in town who acted all tough until someone stood up to them and when they couldn't solve their own problems they ran and got someone even bigger to deal with it for them. At least Zell had tried to defend himself back then, regardless of the fact that he was an only child and almost tiny compared to his classmates. Hell even when Seifer had picked on him in the Garden, the brawler had opted to defend himself instead of running off to find help.

_This guy,_ Zell thought to himself, resisting the urge to shake his head, _is a total idiot._

"Woulda look at me?" Zell heard Irvine say. The sharpshooter looked like he was trying not to laugh at the Minotaur. "I'm shakin' all over in my boots."

"I wouldn't take it very lightly," Selphie warned him seriously. "This guy was pretty tough. He had me and Rinoa backed into a corner the last time we saw him."

Before Zell could add to the conversation, he caught some movement from behind the coffin. It moved quicker than even his eye could catch, however, he was certain he'd seen a bit of purple. But then the subject stopped, standing in front of the coffin in front of them.

Zell couldn't believe his eyes. The new figure looked almost exactly like the first Minotaur. There were differences, like its size and the colour of its horns (yellow instead of red). Like its younger brother, it had a shield attached to its left arm, and in its hands was a staff with a spiked metal ball on the end. It didn't look like it detached from it, but weirder things had happened.

Despite the weapons and the seriousness of the situation, Zell felt his face break out into a broad grin. He couldn't help himself. It was just funny to see that the older brother that was gonna kick all their asses was barely half the height and girth of the Minotaur with the big mouth.

"These are the ones?" The older brother spoke. His tone was much quieter than his younger brother's. He also seemed a lot calmer than him.

"That's them, bro!" The younger one shouted, his voice echoing around them again. He saw Selphie and Rinoa actually cover their ears and was sorely tempted to copy them, but didn't want to miss hearing what the younger one had to say. "_They're_ the one's crashin' tha tomb! Plus, they attacked me!"

"Excuse me!" Rinoa shouted back, her hands having dropped back to either side of her through her indignation. "But _you're_ the one who attacked _us_!"

"Oh really?" the elder brother sounded amused, and seemed to have completely ignored Rinoa's comment. "They attacked you did they? These little humans are either very brave or even more stupid than they appear."

"Pot meet kettle," Rinoa snapped back irritably, more than likely not taking too kindly to being ignored.

"Yeah," Irvine agreed with a snort. "You're pretty pint sized yourself. About as tall as I am, that's a fact."

Zell could tell by the look on Quistis' face that she agreed, though she didn't say anything.

"You _guys_!" Selphie said, waving her arms around exasperatedly. Just by looking at her, Zell could tell she was offended. Thinking about it, the girl _was_ the smallest of the group. "Stop it! It's not _his_ fault he's so short! It actually makes him kinda cute."

Both Minotaurs flushed, turning their skin a darker purple, and Zell glanced behind him to see Squall slap himself in the forehead and shake his head. Quistis started suddenly, almost like she'd just realized something, but before he could ask, the younger brother was talking again. "Now they're makin' fun of us!"

"Foolish humans," the amusement had gone from his voice, leaving behind a cold tone, one born of pure malice. "I'll show you not to judge a book by its cover."

Both he and his brother raised their staffs into the air, heaving them over their shoulders, before throwing the weapons down in front of them, the spiked balls at the end hitting the ground with such a force the stone tiles shook. Zell's feet flew out from beneath him and he fell face first into the floor. He wasn't alone as he caught sight of the same thing happening to Selphie, Rinoa and (to his delight) Irvine. Squall and Quistis alone seemed to be able to keep their balance, the former just barely but the latter appeared as though she was barely touching the ground at all.

The Minotaurs were the first to move. Raising their staff-like clubs, they charged forward. Squall withdrew his gunblade and raised it flat above his head, keeping the smaller Minotaur from cleaving him in two while Quistis just moved away, the swing missing her entirely. The strangest part of it, in Zell's opinion, was that she hadn't made that much effort to dodge at all. Snapping her whip into the air, she wrapped it around the staff and attempted to pull it from the younger brother's grasp, only for her to, at the slightest movement of the bigger Minotaur, be reined in.

He heard gunshots from behind and turned around to see Irvine had entered the fray. The smaller Minotaur was backing away as Squall was charging forward, his weapon raised in preparation of a slash attack. He saw Selphie run past and cast a spell, the wind magic pushing both Quistis and the Minotaur apart.

Zell rose to his feet quickly, knowing that now was not the time to be just watching it all. He charged over towards it (Quistis had suspiciously moved the furthest because of the spell), his fists raised. The bigger Minotaur swung wildly, probably trying to stop Zell's approach, but the brawler was quicker. He ducked low to the floor, the steel ball sailed harmlessly over his head. He saw Selphie's feet move past him and, looking up, he watched as she lunged forward, the nunchaku swinging behind her for an instant before she brought it forward.

But before her attack could connect, he saw the Minotaur bring the staff back. Selphie braced herself for the impact, and the Minotaur swung forward, hitting the diminutive SeeD as though she were a baseball and he the batter. Before she could slam into the wall behind her, though, Quistis charged into the fray once again, throwing her arm out and seemingly catching Selphie from across the room. The younger SeeD touched down onto the ground gently before Quistis _flew_ across the room and slammed her fist into the bigger Minotaur's face. He fell back against the coffin, shaking his head having dropped his staff.

After a moment, he collected himself and turned his attention towards the smaller Minotaur, who was trying to contend with Squall and the other's attacks. "Hey, Bro! She's cheating!"

Zell blinked stupidly, not knowing what he was talking about, but when he turned to regard the former instructor, it all became clear. Quistis stood at the ready, with her chain whip in hand, almost as though she expected the Minotaur to come after her. But Zell also realized that her feet weren't touching the ground at all. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen her touching the ground even once since before the two brothers had attacked them.

"Float!" Zell shouted towards Selphie, who was picking herself up off the ground. She nodded back at him; she'd gotten the message.

Zell concentrated as hard as he could on the feeling of flying. The thoughts came to him easily since he had experienced the magic in the past. He released the spell, and suddenly his stomach lurched uncomfortably as his feet lifted from the ground. He didn't know how effectively he was going to fight against the monsters since he depended on the power of his fists to do some serious damage and he wasn't exactly adept when it came to fighting in the air, but he was willing to try something new.

He focused his energy into the wings that had sprouted onto his back and flew forward, silently wondering how Quistis had been able to conceal hers. When he was close enough, he threw a kick, hitting the coffin as the Minotaur dodged, backing away from them. "Now they're _all_ cheating!"

Still, Zell kept at it, chasing after the Minotaur in the air, even as Quistis fired Aero spells out in front of her. He had a feeling she was avoiding using some of the stronger magicks in case he accidentally got hit. Inspiration hit him suddenly and he focused a particular spell into his hands before throwing another fist at the dodging Minotaur. It missed, but the wind that zapped through his hand connected, knocking the Minotaur back as though he had physically been slapped.

Selphie stood at a distance, her nunchaku had been put away as she focused on spell casting. The younger brother was dodging her Aero spells as though he could see them coming.

* * *

This was getting them nowhere.

Squall jumped back as the smaller Minotaur brought his staff around in an attempt to knock him away. Immediately when he was out of the line of fire, Irvine shot off a couple of rounds from his shot gun. Catching movement from the corner of his eye, he saw a spinning projective collide with the staff, the Minotaur keeping the weapon steady to avoid being slashed in the face.

Squall charged forward once again, the tip of the gunblade scratching against the stone surface as he prepared to slash upwards. The Minotaur seemed to have other plans. He won the battle of strength against the bladed object, knocking it back where it flew straight towards the Squad leader. Squall aborted his charge, dropping to the ground and feeling the air whoosh over him as the pinwheel soared overhead. The next thing he heard was a bark before he saw Angelo charging forward. He watched the collie dodge the Minotaur's swing and leap up to bite him before the monster threw a fist and knocked the animal back. Angelo whined in response but rose to her feet, shaking her head and bearing her teeth at the creature.

Squall barely managed to pull himself to his feet when he saw the Minotaur raise a hoofed foot before planting it firmly onto the ground, which shook from the impact. The stone slabs that had made up the floor shook out of their respective places. It explained why the cracks between them were so clean. Nevertheless, they knocked the Squad leader onto his rear, the sharp edges of stone pressing hard against him, causing more scrapes and bruising.

Finally the ground settled and a moment later, Irvine was firing off his shotgun again. The blasts were deflected as the little Minotaur swung the staff in its path, the blasts taking chunks out of the spiked ball situated on top before he charged forward towards the sharpshooter. Irvine, for his part, continued shooting as he backed out of range of the Minotaur's swipes.

"Squall!" Rinoa shouted as he pulled himself back up onto his feet. Nearby, Angelo growled and took off, no doubt planning to attack the Minotaur again. "I think I have an idea."

_Terrific,_ he thought sarcastically but opted to say nothing, simply gesturing for her to come closer.

"Do you see that ceiling up there?" Rinoa asked, pointing upward when she was standing beside him. Squall frowned, not knowing what she was getting at, but didn't interrupt. "From what Quistis told me and Selphie, these guys are Earth Elementals."

"So?" Squall asked dubiously.

"_So_, if we can get them up to the ceiling, they won't be able to heal from the ground, and it'll give us enough time to search through the coffin for what we're looking for before we make a break for it. We can't beat them, not like this. They've got the home field advantage, right? And we'd just be wasting our time by trying anyway."

Squall didn't know if he should be amused at how simple the plan sounded or impressed that it actually sounded somewhat plausible. Because they were Earth Elemental monsters, they wouldn't know what to do if they were up in the air, but there was the whole matter of getting them to stay up there long enough for them to inspect the coffin. Float spells would do the trick, but they were unpredictable; who knew how long they would last? And even then, there was no guarantee that they wouldn't figure out – somehow – how to reach the ground.

"_Hey_!" Squall heard the sharpshooter shout. "Tha hell are y'all doin' over there? Little help?"

"Keep it distracted for a little longer, Irvine!" Rinoa shouted before Squall could say anything. She seemed to take his lack of answer as a go-ahead. "We just need a little time!"

"Easy for ya ta say!" Irvine shot back, looking almost incredulous. Seconds later, something directed his attention and then he was shooting off another couple of rounds at the Minotaur.

"Just do it!" Rinoa snapped before whirling on Squall. "Well? What are you waiting for?"

"If this is going to work, we're going to have to act quickly," Squall shot back. They didn't have another plan, and it would only be a matter of time before the Minotaur got close enough to Irvine to hit him. "Do you know any spells?"

Rinoa blanched slightly. Apparently she had assumed he would be doing all the work. She stuttered slightly as she searched for an answer, finally blurting one out. "Y-yeah. Selphie's been teaching me how to cast magic in the tomb. I only know a few spells off hand though…"

"Has she taught you how to cast Float?" Squall asked before she could elaborate. Rinoa shook her head furiously and Squall mentally cursed. "Okay, here's what you do. Concentrate on flying, but instead of picturing yourself sprouting wings, picture the Minotaurs getting them. Do you understand?"

"Uh, I _think_ so," Rinoa said nervously.

Squall frowned. That wasn't exactly the answer he had wanted to hear, but they didn't have any more time for him to go into further explanation. "Just try to levitate the Minotaur off the ground and away from Irvine."

"What're you going to do?" Rinoa asked.

"Just get the Minotaur's off the ground!"

Rinoa looked like she was about to argue, but stopped herself before she could make a sound and nodded furiously instead. She then turned her attention to the pair. Irvine was emptying round after round at the Minotaur in an attempt to keep some distance between them.

Squall himself started focusing on his own spell. Because the float spell was unpredictable (never minding the fact that it was Rinoa's first time casting it), there was a high probability of the spell failing out after only a few seconds of casting it. If they wanted this plan to work, then he needed to cast his spell seconds after Rinoa had cast hers.

He himself was in the same boat as her. He'd never successfully cast this spell before. Even now, he was having trouble collecting the tendrils of magic required for it and he blamed the furiousness of the battle around him as he struggled harder to make the spell take hold.

Irvine suddenly fell backwards. The Minotaur's staff swung back up – no doubt he had managed to trip the sharpshooter – and he was preparing to smash the ground with the spiked ball when Rinoa finally threw her hand out in front of her.

Two things happened in that very instance. First, Irvine managed roll out of the way as the club hit the ground, causing small fissures and cracks to form in the stone. Secondly, white wings attached themselves onto the back of the Minotaur and forced him up off the ground right before he could shift his position properly. The diminutive Minotaur tried to anchor himself by using the club, but his grip slipped, causing him to drop the object and float up into the air.

"Alright!" Rinoa shouted beside him enthusiastically. Squall had to admit, casting the spell on her first try was actually rather impressive. Furthermore, she was manipulating the spell the same way he had seen Selphie do back in Dollet, also a feat that was rather difficult. With the slightest movement of her arms, Rinoa was forcing the Minotaur higher and higher – a sight that impressed him all the more. But he wasn't about to get into that by praising her. There was still the matter of the bigger Minotaur to deal with.

"Get the other Minotaur!" He shouted at her. Rinoa winced. He wasn't certain whether it was because of him or from her concentration.

"I'm barely keeping this first guy afloat as it is," Rinoa huffed. She raised her arms higher, appearing as though she were trying to push up an invisible and yet extremely heavy box onto a shelf. "I don't think I can cast another one."

Squall frowned. It wasn't directed at the resistance fighter – as inexperienced as she was he was surprised she was able to cast the spell at all. He turned his attention towards the others. Quistis and Zell were still fending off the Minotaur, float spells that had apparently been cast onto each of them keeping them off the ground as the bigger Minotaur tried to fight them off. Selphie was keeping as far back from the fight as possible. She would throw out her hand and a gust a wind would spring forward, the younger Minotaur making an effort to keep the element from touching him.

"Selphie! Cast float!" Squall shouted from his end. He caused the smaller SeeD to jump with a start as she turned her attention towards him.

"What? On you?" She shouted back before she began to assume her casting stance.

"No!" Squall said in response. He hadn't meant for it to sound as harsh as it had, but he needed her to act quickly. "On the Minotaur!"

"Are you being sarcastic again?" Selphie asked in frustration. Squall couldn't believe she was asking him this _now_ of all times. "Because I really don't think…"

"Selphie! Just cast the damned spell!"

"Uh, ok!" Selphie said, sounding confused by the request before she threw the spell out. For a split second, Squall's stomach sank as he thought he was to be the recipient, but the white feathered wings that formed the float spell attached themselves onto the back of the bigger Minotaur, pushing him off the ground. Unfortunately, Zell had been about to charge forward at the monster. By the time he reached him, the Minotaur had floated a far ways up (thanks to Selphie manipulating the spell) and the brawler face planted into the wall.

"Sorry Zell!" Selphie shouted out. The brawler simply groaned in response.

"Selphie, guide the Minotaur nearer to his brother!" Squall shouted, still concentrating on collecting the last tendrils of magic to complete his spell. "Rinoa do the same! Everyone else, get back!"

Both girls complied, guiding the two floating Earth Elementals while Quistis, Zell and Irvine got out of the line of fire. After a minute, both brothers had knocked into each other, and it was at that moment that Squall finally released his spell, throwing both hands out in front of him, with his hands cupped like he was about to catch an object that had been tossed his way.

The blast of wind that collected between palms was powerful, so much so that Squall had to ground his feet onto the stone floor to prevent himself from being pushed back. The condensed ball of wind elemental magic began to grow in size until Squall finally shoved it forward, the ball exploding into a tornado that would have normally brought the tomb down around them. The squad leader guided the magic forward, and the Earth Elementals were caught in its wake. They were spinning as the colossal wind forced them about. The float spell wasn't designed for strong or high winds, and the Minotaurs' lack of control over the spell proved to be an even bigger hindrance for them. All they could do was ride out the maelstrom.

Squall uncupped his hands, watching as the spell's effects dispersed. However, due to the float spells that were still (miraculously) in effect, the Minotaurs did not plummet back to the ground, instead they continued to spin from the after affects of the Tornado spell closer to the ceiling.

"Squall," Irvine commented, tipping his hat forward. "You're brilliant."

"Thank Rinoa. She came up with the idea," was all that Squall offered in response before he made his way over to the coffin, the others following after him. Who knew how much longer the float spells were going to last, but he wanted to be done and out of the tomb before they could chase after them.

Squall gripped the bottom of the lid before turning on Zell. "A little help?"

Zell nodded before releasing the effects of the float spell that had been cast onto him, landing lightly onto the ground on his feet for once. An instant later, both of them gripped the lid, pushing up and trying to pry it open, but it wouldn't budge. Irvine and Selphie stepped forward and tried to help but that didn't work. Before Quistis and Rinoa could lend a hand, however, Squall heard the Minotaurs shouts turn to startled cries and realized, with a sinking gut, that they were falling back towards the ground. The float spell must have faded already.

Irvine and Selphie dodged in opposite directions, narrowly avoiding being crushed by the Minotaurs landing, and Squall couldn't help noticing that they were staring at both male SeeDs – the only two who were still standing in front of the coffin. Before they could raise their weapons however, Quistis and Irvine launched themselves forward, grabbing hold of the metal balls and pulling back, no doubt buying them some time.

Zell and Squall used it wisely. The brawler launched himself forward, knocking into the younger brother (and accidentally forcing Irvine off balance in the process) while Squall threw an Aero spell at the smaller one. Quistis released her grip as the spell hit the Minotaur dead on.

Rinoa and Selphie threw more Aero spells at the two Minotaurs, who backed away from the onslaught, but the wounds they had both sustained during their flight and the rest of the battle were slowly healing. Green roots were running up their hooved legs. Squall belatedly remembered that contact with the ground enabled them to heal from their wounds.

"Zell!" Squall shouted, and from the looks of it, the brawler had come to the same conclusion. Nearly at the same time, they both cast their spells and watched as the wings attached themselves to the brother's backs. Once again they were lifted about a foot into the air.

The smaller Minotaur threw his arm out in retaliation and a flash of red struck the ground before tearing it apart once more. The result caused the earth to rise up and out of the cracks in the ground, forcing everyone to try to keep their balance as they were lodged up into the air and back down again. Even Quistis was privy to the attack this time around – her float spell must have worn off at some point.

But that wasn't the end of it. Both Minotaurs raised their staffs once again and, nearby, the brawler shouted a warning before the staffs collided with the ground, making the tremors even worse.

Then the younger brother charged over, holding the staff tightly in both hands despite the difficult terrain and he swung forward, knocking Selphie and Irvine back towards the coffin. It would have done same to Squall had he not raised a hand and cast a spell. The surface of the protect spell shielded him from most of the blow. He wasn't nearly as skilled with the spell as Quistis or Selphie because the Squad leader was still pushed a little further away and winced slightly at the sudden contact with the spiked ball.

From up ahead, the brawler raced over as fast as he could and jumped, landing on the back of the Minotaur and wrapping his arms around his throat like a vice, tightening his grip in what Squall assumed was a means of making sure he had him locked in the headlock. This also gave Squall the chance to back away from the Minotaur and out of range of his attack. He couldn't risk attacking the monster with the brawler riding it like he was some kind of professional bull rider.

Squall landed in a crouching position just in time to see the older Minotaur charge away from the former instructor. Squall threw out Aero spells as a means of deterring it, and noted that Selphie was doing the same from her prone position, but the Minotaur was faster than he had given him credit. Soon it was within striking distance and he raised his staff up over his head in an attempt to bash the brawler off his younger brother.

At the very last second, Zell released his grip on the bigger Minotaur, falling onto the ground with a dull thud, and Squall watched as the older brother clubbed his younger sibling in the back with the steel ball. Zell grinned sheepishly before backing away from the duo, and Squall realized that was what the brawler had been aiming for all along.

"_Bro_! What'd you go and do that for?" The bigger Minotaur shouted, tears forming in his eyes. From the lack of bruising or scratches, Squall assumed it was more from the knowledge of who the attacker was rather than from the actual attack.

"I wasn't aiming to hit you!" The smaller one exclaimed. The ground around them stopped shaking and Squall noticed Selphie pull herself away from Irvine and Quistis readying herself. He realized what they were planning and did the same, noting how Zell mirrored his actions. Rinoa and Irvine looked slightly baffled on what they were about to do.

"That's what you _always_ say, and you _always_ hit me in the back!" The younger one snapped. "But you've _never _used the club before!"

"_Because_ I was aiming for the _human_!" The older one snapped back.

Almost at the exact same time, the SeeDs all took their casting stances and, as though they had all thought up the same strategy, they lashed out with Aero spells, catching the two Earth Elementals from all sides. The two Minotaurs – as inept with float spells as they were – could do nothing but try to block the attacks, though where they successfully dodged one they were hit by another. Finally getting the gist of what they were planning, Rinoa launched her pinwheel in their direction. Angelo charged forward, jumping onto the bigger Minotaurs back as she began to scratch and bite at his shoulders, and Irvine concentrated his gun fire at the smaller Minotaur, so as not to harm the canine.

Just as the SeeDs were about to launch more Aero spells however, the float spells suspending the two brothers into the air disappeared and they fell into a crumpled heap on the ground below. They were barely able to pick themselves up off the ground using their staffs, and after a moment, the younger brother spoke in his booming voice. "Dammit... The Brothers defeated... This blows."

Beside him, Zell's jaw dropped and Squall couldn't help but feel the battle's end was somewhat anticlimactic. Did this mean the two were surrendering? But before he could even ask, the smaller brother took in every one of the so-called intruders before his face broke out into a tiny grin. "Mighty ones... May we join you?"

"What?" Rinoa asked, looking between the two in surprise. Squall caught Irvine and Selphie exchanging puzzled glances before shrugging in unison, and couldn't help but feel confused himself. Zell and Rinoa looked dumbfounded, but Quistis was keeping her expression neutral. He couldn't tell what she was thinking.

The older brother chuckled lightly. "We have been entrusted with protecting this tomb from grave robbers, but it seems to me that there are far stronger forces out there than we," he indicated his brother and himself. "Times have changed. After being defeated by you Humes, it has become clear that we would not stand much of a chance against other opponents. It is only right that we go with the first ones to have beaten us."

After he had spoken, their surroundings began to brighten and all six teenagers were forced to shield their eyes in some way. When the light faded and he lowered his shield, he saw that the two Minotaurs were gone. In their place was a muddy-purple looking orb that was very familiar.

It was only after a moment that the silence that had fallen inside the pillar was broken. "Humes?"

"It's what Guardian Forces refer to humans as," Quistis announced, answering Rinoa's question. Everyone whirled on the former instructor in surprise, and she seemed to realize what she'd said. "As soon as I saw them both, I'd had a feeling, but I couldn't be sure until now. Those two are the Brothers' GF. I'd heard that GF's fitting their description had vanished from history years ago, but now it's quite clear what they've been up to for the last few centuries."

"Do Guardian Forces _always_ tend ta guard people's graves?" Irvine asked, to which Quistis shook her head.

"GF's tend to use their own discretion to decide their course of action. I've heard of Guardians choosing to serve specific humans before, though I've never personally seen it happen."

"Well, I guess that means we get a new GF, huh?" Selphie said, shrugging as she did. "Now all we gotta do is open the coffin."

Almost as though her words had sparked some unbidden power, the previously sealed coffin's lid lifted of its own accord, opening to its widest point. Everyone exchanged glances between one another, not knowing how or why it had happened, but suddenly a translucent being rose out from inside of it. The being was indiscernible, very pale and difficult to make out against the coffin lid behind it. From what they could make out, he (at least Squall assumed it was a he) seemed to be a regal ruler or some fetid pauper from the edge of the court. None of the group seemed to be able to tell. The figure had features that appeared to sag downwards, suggesting that he was near the end of his life before he died.

"You are all quite the powerful ones," the ghost spoke. From the looks on everyone's faces, Squall could tell they, like him, were wondering if they had completely lost it, "to have defeated the two brothers. At any rate, it is because of you that I am no longer bound to this cramped stone coffin.

"Though there is one question I must ask before I depart from this world," the ghost continued, seemingly oblivious to the incredulous looks he was receiving. "Is it _really_ necessary to entomb others who are travelling to the next world after having travelled so long and hard during their life? Or is it simply a means for their loved ones to keep them connected to this world?"

And with that, the ghost disappeared, leaving them to ponder his last words, words that somehow suggested the grave was not the world of peace and ending that they had expected. It was something that seemed eerily reminiscent of the world in which they now lived.


	33. Chapter XXXII: Chaotic Sleep

**Edited: **_06/12/10_

* * *

**Chapter XXXII:**  
**Chaotic Sleep**

* * *

It had been a few minutes before anyone moved towards the coffin. The ghost's sudden disappearing act was as chilling and startling as its emergence and it had taken a while for all of them to recover from the surprise. A ghost had been the last thing everyone had expected upon defeating the Brothers GF and the question it had delivered had been puzzling to say the least. No one seemed to know what it was supposed to mean but eventually, they gave it up for lost. They didn't exactly have the time to be pondering the message anyway.

The search of the now opened coffin presented them with the corpse of the king – which was nothing more than a skeleton now – as well as an assortment of items that had been taken or collected over the years (no doubt by one or both of the Minotaur Brothers). Most of it was garbage, such as empty potions bottles, old stones that had once been brimming with paramagic, pouches, papers and anything else of unimportance, but there were some interesting valuables within the coffins contents. For starters, there was an assortment of different kinds of weapons and articles of armour worn by either soldiers or even adventuring thieves – all of which looked rusted from years of disuse.

After sifting through the so-called treasures for a good five minutes, the six teenagers had finally found what they had come for in the first place. The ID badge that listed the missing students ID number was tucked away in a small nook that would have been overlooked had Zell not pointed it out to them. The badge looked plain, almost simple in design. Small and rectangular, it had been laminated to ensure it received no damage to the contents within. On the upper right hand corner was a picture of the student, and typed in a neat format was their identification number. The additional information that was posted on the upper left hand side of the ID was of unimportance, and no one appeared to be all that interested in it anyway. A circular hole had been made near the top of the plastic and looped through it was a black lanyard that was supposed to be worn around the neck. Aside from the fact that the student had come from Galbadia Garden, it was a simple looking ID card, with an equally simple looking number.

None of that mattered to the team however. With their treasure discovered, they were finally free to leave, much to everyone's relief.

As the others went on ahead of him, eager to get out of the dank old tomb and breathe in the fresh air of the outdoors once more, Squall inspected the orb that had been left behind, the one that now housed the Brothers inside of it. He considered just picking up the item and stashing it with the dead king, but the GF's had seemed eager to leave the tomb, almost as eager as he and the rest of the group. He had to admit that were he to be stuck guarding a dungeon filled with monsters at every corner for centuries at a time, he'd want to leave. Hell, he'd only been in the tomb for a little over five hours and he wanted out.

Besides, even if he had wanted to place them next to the dead king he couldn't. Once they'd retrieved the ID badge, the coffin had closed when everyone was clear of the lids path. It was like some invisible force had allowed them to choose amongst the treasure their prize before the contents of the coffin were sealed away from them.

After one more moment of thinking about it, Squall retrieved the orb from the stone ground and, closing his eyes, allowed the energies of the GF brothers to seep into his mind. He knew Rinoa was only just beginning to learn how to cast spells, and there wouldn't be enough time to teach her the basics of junctioning. He also knew Irvine hadn't used junctions before either since he never wielded magic before. Selphie, Zell and Quistis were all viable choices to junction with the GF, but they had all just walked past them, so there was no real harm in him taking the additional junction.

As he felt the GF's pass through the orb, he felt rigid, almost stiff and found it almost alarmingly difficult to breathe. It was almost like he had been buried alive underground. It wasn't altogether a pleasant feeling, but he pushed passed it in order to grant the Brother's entrance. When he was finished, his surroundings felt normal once again, and he couldn't help be feel a little lighter in contrast to the weighted feeling he'd had moments ago. Breathing heavily from the exertion, he felt Quezacotl shift in his mind, almost as though the thunder bird was giving the brother's more room, which was also not a pleasant experience.

Once he was certain that the GF's were at ease (and in turn weren't about to make _him_ uncomfortable) he followed after the others, reaching the bridge just as everyone else was crossing over the river. However, once he set foot on the wooden structure, he instantly knew that something was different. He didn't know what exactly that difference was, but he wanted very much to get off the bridge and away from the water that surrounded them as fast as he possibly could. It was a little too abrupt for it to have been instinct, and he wondered if it was simply the Brothers' presence that was setting him off edge.

He wasn't going to look a gift horse in the nose however. If the Brothers were trying to warn him of some impending danger, then he was going to listen and get him and his team out of there as quickly as possible.

Squall caught up to the others easily. Selphie was teaching Rinoa the basics behind draw-casting, with Quistis' added input up ahead while Irvine and Zell were keeping out of the conversation. He barely managed to avoid bumping into the former instructor and slowed his pace to keep in time with the others, his gaze settled at the water beneath them. Recalling the Blorba – the water blobs with arms – he suddenly decided that he wanted off the bridge, and almost as the thought had come to pass, he caught movement in the lake out of the corner of his eye. He held the gunblade level, both hands on the handle, grateful that he had opted to not return it to its sheath after the fight with the GFs.

Quistis had at least seen the movement because she stopped suddenly and, within the next few seconds, the others had done the same.

"Hey Squall?" Selphie said uncertainly, eying the gunblade while she tilted her head to the side. "Why'd you stop?"

"Yeah man," Zell piped in. "What's up?"

Squall didn't answer. He just watched his surroundings very closely, specifically the water. The thought occurred to him that maybe the Blorba monsters were hiding in the lake around them, waiting for an opportunity where they could attack. And if the Brothers really had been the ones preventing the other monsters from attacking this path, would they notice if the GF's were suddenly gone?

The thought just made too much sense for him to not consider it a possibility. The Brothers' presence in the tomb explained why the monsters normally stayed away from the central path of the tomb. They were powerful ground elemental junctions who probably used quake spells to keep the floors so orderly and tidy. But that also meant it was very likely the monsters would be able to tell if something bigger had come along to take them out, or even that their presence had suddenly vanished

"Squall?" Rinoa started uncertainly, no doubt concerned by his lack of response, but the Squad leader cut her off, not wanting to waste any time explaining his behaviour.

"We should get going," he said, starting to move towards the exit with the gunblade still held level.

"Is something wrong?" Selphie asked.

"I'd reckon there is."

It was Irvine who had answered. He was near the head of the line, and he pointed a finger back behind them. Squall turned around, as did the others, and saw what the sharpshooter was indicating to. The water was filled with four sets of eyes from his left hand side that were watching them almost intently. Looking over his shoulder he saw three more sets on the right. They seemed to be rising up out of the water and onto the bridge behind them.

"Don't let them on the bridge!" Quistis shouted as she realized their predicament. She uncoiled her whip and snapped it in the air above the Blorbas heads, even as Selphie pulled her nunchaku from the strap beneath her back pack and Rinoa raised her arm with the pinwheel whirling to life. Irvine raised his weapon steady, but didn't appear to want to use it, and with good reason since Quistis' attempt at threatening the monsters didn't seem to work.

Squall was unsurprised by the sight. Physical attacks seemed to do nothing at all to them. If they wanted to really hurt them, then they were stuck resorting to magical attacks.

The former instructor seemed to take in this information, because she suddenly switched tactics. Whip handle still in hand, the blonde girl folded her arms across her chest before throwing a look over her shoulder, signalling for everyone to get back.

Everyone did as told, and after a moment, Quistis unfolded her arms, and electric energy exploded from her, making contact with the bridge and sending the charge flying into the water surrounding them. The Blorbas shook and shuddered from the charge, most of them falling from the bridge and back into the water below, submerging below the surface.

"That won't hold them off," Quistis explained as she broke off the electrical attack.

"Get out!" Squall shouted, and no one argued as they took off at a run down the hallway ahead. Behind him, he could hear the sounds of the blobs slinking back out of the water in preparation of pursuit.

The Squad leader wasn't worried however. He knew from past encounters that they were far faster than the Blorbas were. The ground provided traction and while they were essentially made out of water, they still had to propel themselves forward. As bipeds, humans could control the speed at which they moved using hard sturdy surfaces and with that information Squall knew that they would be out of the tomb long before the water blobs had reached the first junction at this rate.

Just as he allowed himself to think positively, however, the thoughts were dashed from his mind when he saw Selphie and Irvine stop in their tracks up ahead, forcing everyone else to do the same. Squall didn't need to ask them why they'd suddenly stopped, because he could see the reason for himself. Two Armadodos – the huge armadillo-like creatures – had stepped into the path and were turning the corner in order to intercept them. Selphie cast a protect spell in front of her just as Irvine had been about to back away, and the swipe attacks bounced off the shields harmlessly while the pair were forced back slighting, wincing from the physical contact.

With the Armadodos in the very front of the junction and the Blorbas back towards the bridge, they were trapped within the narrow corridor with barely enough standing room between two people. There was no way any of them were going to be able to fend off both sets of monsters, not when they were so closely packed together.

Squall suddenly heard a sound like rushing water and, looking down, he realized that it was from the water pouring out into the hall from the cracks between the wall and the stone floor. An instant later, he caught sight of one of the Blorbas trying to rise up from the surrounding water. Acting out of instinct, Squall launched a Thundara spell and watched as the blasts of lightning hit the Blorba, sending it back towards the lake.

"Those things shouldn't be able to move _that_ fast!" Rinoa retorted, even as two more rose from the opposite side.

"They must've travelled through the water!" Squall commented as he readied another Thundara. He saw Rinoa preparing to cast Thunder and they released their spells at the same time. The spells made contact and the two Blorbas quickly slunk back.

"We can't fend them _all_ off," Quistis shouted, looking between the rising Blorbas and the advancing Armadodos. Squall cursed, knowing that she was right. Soon they would all be back to back, unable to fight back effectively. When that happened, the monsters would use their advantage to rend them all to shreds.

So much for the mission. Or the code number.

He noted that they hadn't had this much trouble with the monsters _before_ encountering the Brothers. Of course, they'd encountered Blorbas and Armadodos before along their trek, but they'd been able to lead them out into the open junctions and finished them off where there had been enough room to fend them off. Never before had they encountered _both_ kinds of monsters at the same time, and with them baring the path of escape for that matter.

There was a squawk of shock from behind him as he threw another Thundara spell at another advancing Blorba. Squall turned back to see Selphie knocked off her feet, the travelling pack's strap that had been hanging precariously over her one shoulder having been torn by a claw attack. The diminutive SeeD fell to the ground hard, and she winced while rubbing at the shoulder that had come into contact with the stone floor.

But that wasn't what concerned Squall. He watched the bag fall to the ground and the flap over the opening fly open, and tumbling out of the SeeD issued bag fell a familiar object before it smashed against the ground, shattering into pieces. A handle was barely discernible from the broken debris it had left behind and amongst the shards was what looked like it had been a spout.

Shock and recognition suddenly overcame him as the levity of the situation weighed on him and he gaped openly in horror at the broken fragments of what had once been the cursed lamp the Headmaster had given him, the Blorbas and the Armadodos suddenly forgotten. His gaze immediately fell to the bag he had been carrying, the one he had been _positive _had been his backpack all along, but somehow Selphie had gotten a hold of it instead. During the continued treks, they must have gotten their bags mixed up.

As he cursed the Garden and they're uniform looking bags (no doubt to cut costs), Squall recalled the words the Headmaster had spoken to him when he'd initially received the item. That because it was cursed it should be handled with care, never to be touched directly, even through gloves. As a result, the object had remained enclosed into his bag, never having been touched in preparation of having it checked out before risking anything. Unfortunately, an opportunity hadn't been available to him and, to be honest, he'd completely forgotten all about it until this point. Seeing the item broken made him wonder and yet weary of what would happen next.

He didn't have to wait for very long to find out though. Amidst the broken shards was a black smoke that hovered around in the air, growing as the seconds passed them. Selphie was the closest person to the smoke, picking herself up onto her feet and groaning as she took in the ripped material of what she had assumed to be her backpack. Turning around though she, like Squall, froze the instant she saw the black swirling mist.

"Oh shit," was all Squall could say in response, even as the others continued to battle obliviously. Only Rinoa stopped after throwing another Thunder spell into a nearby Blorba, as she was the closest to him and had probably heard him.

"What do you mean, 'oh shit'?" She shouted back at him incredulously. "You can't _possibly_ tell me that things are gonna get any worse than this."

Wordlessly, he pointed towards the broken lamp, and the black swirling mist that had once been its contents and Rinoa's mouth hung open as her eyes widened. "Oh shit..."

"Everyone get back to the bridge! Quickly!" Squall shouted as he started to follow his own order. Wordlessly Rinoa did the same.

"What?" Quistis shouted. Zell appeared equally confused.

Unlike them, however, Selphie grabbed Irvine by the arm, and was dragging him back towards the pillar. It was only because of her junctions that she could have obtained this feat. "Just _listen_ to the man! He _knows_ what he's talking about!"

Before Zell, Irvine or Quistis could question them they finally spotted the black smoke, which was steadily growing bigger until it was as big as the open junction in front of them. The trio opted not to question the Squad leader any further and ran back the way they had come, Zell and Quistis catching up to the four of them easily.

The monsters were oblivious to this. All that mattered to them was their prey was backing away in an attempt to escape. The moment of shock wore off quickly and then they were bolting back towards the bridge through the narrow corridor. The Blorbas seemed to know where they were headed (as if they could go anywhere else) because they jumped back into the water that led into the corridor and moved through it to get back into the lake, as though trying to head them off.

The Armadodos, unable to do the same, trekked on, their stubby feet pounding the stone floor as the group of teenagers backed into the bridge. Everyone levelled their weapons in preparation of the fight that was to ensue. From the side Squall saw the Blorbas rise up from the watery depths and threw a spell at it, the monster melting back into the water as the residual shock of the thunder spell sparked across the surface. The Armadodos emerged right in front of the bridge at that point, the pounding that had been their stomping towards them stopping as they prepared to engage.

However, just as the latter monsters were about to attack, a black swarm of energy engulfed one of them. The black mist grew larger before it receded, and the Armadodo fell lifelessly to the ground before them.

Everyone stared in shock as the revelation of what had happened sunk in. Zell, Irvine and Selphie gaped on with jaws dropped, Rinoa looked downright petrified and even Quistis looked surprised by the sudden attack, each of his teammates mirroring exactly how the Squad leader felt at the sight. The second Armadodo, however, didn't appear to notice (or care) that its partner had just died seemingly from some strange phenomenon, because it reared forward as though to attack the six teenagers. But before it could move any further than that, sharp talon like claws protruded from within its stomach. Blood flew from the wound and hit both Zell and Irvine, who were at the front of the line, in the face, causing Rinoa to scream in fright. Selphie had only barely managed to avoid the spill by ducking behind the sharpshooter and allowing him to take the brunt of the attack.

The next thing everyone knew, the Armadodo was being lifted up into the air, squirming as blood trailed down its body and dripping onto the bridge beneath it. Squall gaped on in horror, shocked that anything was as hard or sharp enough to penetrate that sturdy shell. Images of his own encounters with the monsters came to mind, reminding him that the Revolver model gunblade had barely even caused a chip. Beside him, Rinoa's jaw had dropped, her gaze recaptured as the Armadodo was carelessly tossed aside as though it were a simple play thing. The large monster fell into the water with a splash that was like an explosion and the Blorbas instantly became distracted by the sinking monster, submerging deep into the lake to intercept.

The talons that had pierced the shell of the Armadodo were still exposed into the dim light, blood trailing along the red and black arm that led into a face in the shadows. Yellow slitted eyes and sharp white teeth bearing a dark looking grin were all they could see. Squall sincerely hoped they wouldn't have to fight the newest creature, but couldn't help but wonder if it had been the very thing residing in the lamp in the first place.

There were two Blorbas that didn't fall for the distraction. Sensing new prey, they rose up out of the lake and, ignoring the six teenagers, charged at the new creature, something the Squad leader didn't think was a very good idea. He was right. The creature in the shadows raised its talon-claw-like hand into the air and a black sphere formed in its palm. The sphere grew bigger and bigger, as though it were absorbing all the shadows in the surrounding area before it hurled the ball of energy at the two water monsters. It struck them and caused the bridge to shake around them, almost resulting in tossing the whole group off the bridge and into the lake surrounding them. Squall was certain the bridge was being ripped apart, but when the blast faded, the structure was perfectly intact. The Blorbas seemed frozen in their place for a moment, before sinking back into the depths of the lake, leaving only a watery trail that even suggested that they had been there in the first place.

No one moved for a moment while the bridge began to still. Quistis and Irvine exchanged puzzled glances while Squall simply refused to look away from the spot the creature in the shadows was lurking. He was almost positive that it had come from the smoke that was in the lamp, and all the same he didn't want to take his eyes away from that spot just in case it wasn't on their side.

Selphie, Rinoa and Zell suddenly let out an excited cheer. The monsters that had been barring their path were now gone, and they were, seemingly, free to leave. But just as they tried to take a step forward, they heard a massive roar from ahead that caused the cheering to stop. A moment later, the figure in the dark emerged and everyone was frozen in shock as they took in its appearance.

It was mostly black, but there were traces of red stemming along its arms, legs and front. Keeping it aloft from the ground were leathery looking black wings that weren't unlike the Buel's bigger bat like ones, though even those had traces of red in them. Its face was pointed and very devilish looking, with pointed ears atop a dark face. Lashing out behind it like an angry snake was a sleek black tail, the tip forming an arrow head.

As it loomed closer, Squall suddenly decided that it hadn't been there to help them in the first place. The second roar it let out confirmed it.

"Who," it snarled, looking at all of them as though they had intruded upon its home, "dares to disturb my slumber?"

"It was _asleep_?" Selphie cried out as everyone turned to look in her direction. It seemed his assumption that the creature had come from the lamp had been accurate. "Aw _crap_! I'm sorry!"

Squall was sorry too. Sorry that he hadn't kept better track of his backpack.

The creature roared once again before streaking right towards them. Apparently an apology wasn't going to resolve this no matter how sincere. Its wings cut through the air as it loomed closer, its talon-like hands stretched out to skewer them like it had the Armadodo.

Everyone dove in separate directions. Selphie and Rinoa nearly fell into the water with the Blorbas, while Quistis and Irvine were closer to the room where they'd fought the Brothers. Squall fell roughly against the wooden planks of the bridge, keeping flat against the surface as the creature swooped overhead. Turning to look to his right, he watched in horror as Zell actually fell from the bridge and into the water. Recovering quickly, Squall reached into the depths of the lake and barely managed to pull the soaking wet brawler back onto the wooden structure before the Blorbas could capitalize on the blonde fighter's misfortune.

Only having just barely dried off before facing the Brothers, Zell groaned as he shook his head, water flying everywhere while Squall raised an arm to keep the liquid from hitting his face. "Damn, man. The Headmaster knew what he was talking about when he said that lamp was cursed."

Squall nodded in response, silently wondering why the Headmaster would give him something with this volatile a creature inside, or even give him a better warning aside from 'this item is cursed, be careful'. It bothered him almost as much as knowing the elder man had given the cursed item to him right before he'd set off for his mission. He didn't think Headmaster Kramer had intended for it to kill him, he wasn't like that. But it seemed just as unlikely that he hadn't known what was inside it in the first place. It had to mean something.

Almost as though he'd just put in a determining piece to the puzzle, Squall started in realization, shooting up to his feet as the shock took hold. Zell had to pull him back down roughly as the creature swooped down overhead again, nearly taking Squall's head as a result. It flew up high, its dark wings flapping loudly as it began to gather the same kind of energy that it had used to kill the Blorbas and the first Armadodo, the ball of energy growing bigger as the seconds ticked by.

However, Squall was too concerned with his revelation to be bothered by the incoming threat. Zell asked him if he was alright, but the gunblader shook the brawler off of him before raising his voice so that the others could hear him. "It's a GF!"

"What?" Quistis exclaimed. She was just climbing onto her feet from where she'd ducked down across from them. The former instructor looked from Squall to the monster and back to Squall in apprehensive wonder, no doubt she was trying to figure out how he'd come to his conclusion. Irvine meanwhile had withdrawn his riffle and was opening fire with it. The bullets blasted into the creature, but with no affect while Selphie and Rinoa gaped at him openly. Beside him, Zell looked equally confused at the news.

"You mean we've gotta fight _another one_?" Selphie shouted from her end incredulously when she'd recovered from her shock. Jerking out of her own surprise, Rinoa threw a Blizzard spell in the direction of the creature. The blast hit it over the head, but, like the bullets from Irvine's riffle, it didn't seem to do anything, and the blast continued to grow in size.

Before Squall had a chance to respond, the creature launched the black energy ball right at them. Squall, Quistis, Zell and Irvine all barely had the chance to shield themselves, but the blast never got close to them. Looking up, Squall saw a wall rising up from the floor, like it had done back at the Communication's Tower. There was no doubt in Squall's mind that Selphie was responsible for this. While Quistis and Irvine appeared stunned when the wall suddenly scattered, Squall and Zell charged forward, sending off spells of their own. Fira and Thundara flew from Zell and Squall's hands respectively, the blasts hitting the Guardian Force full on.

The Guardian appeared unimpressed. Two black spheres formed in each of its hands before they were launched straight at the two of them. Zell and Squall prepared to back away from the impending blasts but a hole suddenly shot out from beneath them. From the hole appeared a small blue-furred creature with a rhombus shaped ruby on its forehead, surprisingly dry despite the fact it had come out of a hole in the bridge where water surrounded them from all sides. Meekly, the little blue ball of fur checked its surroundings almost as though making sure the coast was clear before it jumped out of the hole, standing between the SeeDs and the impending black spells.

A light shown from its ruby, and an arching wall of prismatic energy rose up between them. The blasts of magic bounced off the shield harmlessly and rebounded at the GF, hitting it full force. The GF roared angrily, and at last the first signs of pain seemed to sound through the angry snarl.

Meanwhile, the Guardian Force Carbuncle retreated back into its hole, which sealed itself upon the GF's departure. Squall realized suddenly that the GF must have reflected the magic attacks back at the other GF. This had been what Quistis had been talking about so long ago. Quistis, meanwhile, was just rising out of her casting stance.

"Demi spells," the former instructor said thoughtfully, moving up beside both Zell and Squall. Selphie and Rinoa were busy pelting the GF with magic spells of their own. This was all well and good, since they were too far for them to hear. "It's a Gravity based creature, which means if it's really a GF, then it _has_ to be Diablos."

"Diablos?" Zell shouted, looking from the former instructor to the GF. "Who the fuck is that?

"And what tha hell are ya?" Irvine asked, coming up to stand beside them while he reloaded his rifle. "Tha walkin'-talkin' dictionary of Guardian Forces and monsters?"

"I studied up on them, yes," Quistis shot back, sounding somewhat offended by the jab. Irvine shrugged good-naturedly as she continued her explanation. "I was an instructor before all this happened, so it was my job to know what I was teaching my students. What I _don't _know is," she stared very pointedly at Squall and Zell, "where the _hell_ it came from."

Before they could answer her, another roar cascaded upon them. Diablos was charging at them, its talons bared and everyone was forced to duck down again. "Can we talk about this later?" Zell asked meekly, covering his head with both of his arms. Quistis huffed indignantly but didn't press the issue further.

"Hey! Whatever you did, Quisty, it made him _mad_!" Selphie shouted from across the way. Her hands were cupped over her mouth to make the sound carry better. Rinoa meanwhile was still pelting the creature – Diablos – with blizzard and thunder spells. "Do it again!"

"Gravity spells like Demi hurt him!" Quistis shouted back, and the four of them were forced to duck back down as Diablos swooped overhead once more. By then Squall was pressed so far down against the wooden platform he was sure he was getting impressions from the bridge onto his face.

Selphie looked very confused. "I've never learned that spell!" She shouted before she and Rinoa ducked from Diablos' swipe.

Squall frowned. He'd never learned it either. Judging from the look on Zell's face, he was in the same boat.

"Draw-casting!" Quistis shouted back after sighing loudly. "It's the best we can do for now!"

The former instructor rose to her feet and sent the same black magic Diablos had been gathering earlier towards the Gravity GF. The blast missed, hitting the wall as it arched overhead, as though preparing to dive once again.

Squall kept low to the ground and concentrated on the creature. From what he remembered about draw-casting, some creatures were so immersed with one particular element or type of spell that they became imbued with it. While it was a rare occurrence, it was sometimes possible to draw magic from them before they cast the spell themselves and use it against them. The reason draw-casting wasn't used widely was because the type of spells most enemies used were so unpredictable, that it was more difficult to draw them.

But because they already knew that Diablos was a Gravity Elemental type, and that the only spells that were of that element were Demi and Gravija, it would be easier to concentrate on their energies.

Squall did just that, closing his mind and, thinking about the gut-wrenching feeling of being in an elevator speeding up, he forced himself to mentally reach up and into the GF. He willed himself to absorb as much gravity magic as he could muster, and felt increasingly heavy as the spells pooled into him. It was painful and very uncomfortable, but he forced himself on until he could barely draw breath, and felt himself stagger backwards as he retreated back into his own mind.

When he opened his eyes, his surroundings felt brighter. That might have been because the gravity energy was akin to darkness itself, but he forced the energy he had drawn out to form into a ball before launching it towards the creature. It hit Diablos head on, blasting at its head while another Demi spell propelled itself into its stomach, courtesy of Zell. A third hit the gravity user full in the face, but as Quistis resumed her casting stance to try it again, Diablos stretched its arms out.

The air suddenly got very thick and heavy. It was difficult to draw breath into his lungs. His legs felt like lead and he was forced to his knees, like a magnet drawing in metal to itself. He found it increasingly difficult to keep in this kneeling position and soon he fell flat onto his stomach, his face stuck to the ground. Even his eyes and hair hurt, it was as though something huge and heavy was keeping him trapped against the bridge, which appeared to not be affected at all by the extra weight.

He forced himself to turn his head to the left. Zell was in much the same condition as himself, and Quistis was attempting to cast a spell. White wings formed onto her back and lifted her from the ground for a mere second before they were forced to disperse, forcing her to lie onto her stomach like them. He couldn't see Irvine anywhere.

Squall knew that this was Gravija. He'd never had the spell cast on him before, but there was no denying what was happening to them. Diablos was trying to keep them from casting any more Gravity spells on it, and was probably preparing to finish them off while he was at it. The air Squall had drawn into his lungs had been expelled once he'd hit the ground. Unlike the rest of his body, he was beginning to feel light-headed and knew that it would only be a matter of time until he lost consciousness completely from oxygen-deprivation.

A shot sounded in the distance as the edges of his vision darkened, and suddenly the pressure was lifted as a loud roar of outrage filled the air. He drew in the much needed oxygen and coughed loudly as he nearly choked. He could hear Quistis and Zell doing the same. Lifting his head tentatively, he saw what had caused Diablos' attention to be turned away. Irvine opened fire with another blast from his riffle, and a large flash of fire hit Diablos full in the face before an explosion knocked the Guardian Forced back. An instant later, a small flash of lightning and a large blast of ice hit Diablos hard in the chest, knocking him back into the wall.

But as much as it startled him to realize it, Irvine seemed to be doing the most damage to it. Diablos shook off the magic spells easily, but was force to eat another fire ball that had blasted into its face.

"So ya don't like mah flame shot, eh?" Irvine shouted. He was soaked to the bone – he must have taken the chance and dove into the lake before he could've been affected by the Gravija. "Then have a taste of some Canister!"

He shoved more bullets into the riffle's barrel while Rinoa and Selphie distracted it with more spells and, after taking deliberate aim, he opened fire, causing three blasts to charge straight for the Guardian Force. Diablos was still trying to recover from the magic attacks when the blasts hit him and exploded, knocking him into the wall once again before Diablos entered free-fall. He righted himself after a moment, his wings flapping in the air loudly, but it was just in time to be hit by another Blizzard spell from Rinoa and a blast of fire (Firaga) courtesy of Selphie. Irvine let loose another shot, the bullets blasting into the Guardian, and this time Diablos did fall beneath the surface of the lake. His body hit the water with a concussive splash that was louder than any gunshot Squall had ever heard.

Then there was a silence so thick it made Squall's ears ring, but it was broken when Irvine broke out into a grin, tipping the rifle against his shoulder dramatically. "Y'all didn't reckon I just used normal bullets, didja? I'm a sharpshooter. O'course I'da thought ta carry different kinds'a ammunition along with me."

"We should probably leave _now_," Quistis suggested and yet she made no move to do so. Squall understood why. If Diablos wasn't down for the count, she didn't want to be around when he recovered any more than the Squad leader did.

Before anyone else could follow the former instructor's advice, the water's surface was broken. Diablos flew out from the water, blasting at the Blorbas that had tried to finish it off. The explosions that were caused by the Demi spells impacting the water were loud and thunderous, almost loud enough to drown out the wailing screams of the dying creatures. After launching one last Demi spell at them, Diablos stopped. Squall realized the GF was breathing heavily from expending so much energy.

"Too much sleep..." Diablos rumbled, and Squall realized it wasn't going to fight them anymore. "Too weak."

And the black smoke that had brought Diablos to them in the first place appeared again, surrounding the Guardian as it slumped against it. It seemed to condense it, the faster it revolved around the GF, the smaller it became until it was just a small floating ball.

_No..._ Squall mentally corrected himself. _More like an orb._

The GF orb floated over the water's surface before it touched lightly onto the bridge. No one approached it, in case Diablos suddenly jumped out once again, but after a moment, Quistis picked it up and handed it to Irvine. "Seems like you've earned this."

"Reckon I have," Irvine said, though Squall knew what was coming. "All the same, I don't use junctions. Prefer to rely on my own abilities, but thanks for thinkin' about me."

Quistis rolled her eyes in exasperation before turning to Zell. "What about you? Do you want this?"

"What about...?" Zell started but Quistis cut him off.

"Rinoa is only just learning about magic and wouldn't know how to junction," she indicated towards Rinoa, who looked startled she would even come into the equation. She must've thought this was solely a Garden thing. "Irvine just said he doesn't use junctions, and Selphie and I already have two."

"So do I," Squall said, causing everyone to turn on him. "I've already junctioned the Brothers."

"So I guess Diablos is all yours," Quistis said as she dropped the orb. Zell reached out a hand instinctively and stared at it as though it were going to jump up and bite him when he caught it. "You'd better junction that quickly. I'd say it would be best to leave as soon as we can, before anything _else_ comes along to hold us up. Though I'd _still_ like to know where Diablos suddenly sprung up from."

Selphie shrugged before Squall could answer. "I know _something_ flew out of my bag and broke into pieces. That's where all the black smoke came from. It kinda looked like an old oil lamp. But I never packed that before leaving the Garden. I think I'd remember something like that."

"That's because it wasn't your bag," Squall supplied, and all eyes turned on him. He sighed, knowing there was just no real explanation or excuse for this and opted to just get the explanation over with. "We must have gotten them mixed up at some point. The bag you dropped is mine."

"Yours?" Rinoa repeated, whirling on him as she planted her hands onto her hips. "And you didn't_ think _that something like that would happen if it got smashed?"

"I didn't know anything about it," Squall responded simply as he shrugged. "The Headmaster gave it to me before we left for Timber."

"So you carried around an item you knew nothing about?" Quistis asked, equally incredulous. She folded her arms across her chest and gave him a pointed look.

"Well, we knew it was cursed..." Zell added helpfully before slapping a hand onto his mouth. It was too late, the damage had been done and he winced sharply when Quistis and Rinoa turned away from Squall and onto him.

"You _knew_ about it?"

Zell nodded meekly as he put his hands up in front of him to put some distance between himself and the two girls. "I saw it poking out of his bag during the train ride, and he told me where he got it from. He told me not to touch it," Zell added helpfully.

"We couldn't have known what would happen if it broke," Squall interjected in his defence. "The Headmaster just told me that using the item might be useful."

"Wait a minute," Selphie interrupted. Rather than look angry, she appeared to be more confused than anything. "Headmaster Kramer _thought_ that a _cursed_ item might be _useful_? I'm sorry, but that's totally backwards. What did he think we were gonna do, give it to the Galbadians and hope to give them a stroke of bad luck?"

"If we'd handed it to the Galbadians," Quistis said, "they would have gotten their hands on the GF. Not exactly a stroke of 'bad luck' if you ask me."

_No one asked you, _Squall thought to himself in annoyance before he sighed loudly. Talking about it wasn't going to change what happened, but it didn't look like they were going to leave with the way things were at the moment. "Look, I don't know _what_ he expected when he gave me the damned thing. He just gave it to me and said it would be useful. The only caution was not to rub it until I thought I was ready or something to that effect."

"Maybe that's how we were _supposed_ to use it," Zell added with a shrug. "No one said anything about some scary GF coming out of it if someone went and smashed it against a stone floor."

Selphie looked like she wanted to say something, but before she could get the chance a loud shrill whistle sounded from nearby, causing them all to look for the source. It turned out Irvine had been the cause. The sharpshooter had stuck both his thumb and middle finger into his mouth to make the noise. When he was sure he'd gotten everyone's attention, he removed the finger and thumb from his mouth and looked at them all in exasperation. "Chill out, would ya? What's done is done and there ain't much use in arguing about who done what wrong. Tha baddies are done in, there's still monsters crawlin' all over tha tomb, and we've got a mission in tha city ta take care of. So I reckon y'all stop squabblin' over spilt milk, count our blessin's that we're still alive, and get on outta here."

* * *

_In the words of a familiar character from this series, I have a confession to make! _

_This chapter was written purely for my own entertainment. When I was reading Peptuck's version of Final Fantasy 8 as he was writing it, I have to say I was extremely disappointed that he'd forgotten all about poor Diablos (Poor? Ha!). Long before I'd ever thought of writing my own novelization I came up with a means of introducing the Gravity Based GF into the story line without it seeming tacked on, and my idea always encompassed Selphie falling, knocking over the bag and thus resulting in the lamps destruction and Diablos' grand entrance. Selphie's becoming more and more of a plot device. _

_Carbuncle was another casualty in Peptuck's version of events. I won't say how he had intended for Carbuncle to get introduced out of respect to him (and I don't know if everyone's read that version yet), but I will say that shortly after I started writing this story, I'd come up with an awesome means of introducing the little blue furball, except I'd already written a couple of fight scenes that would have been affected if I introduced the junction in that matter, so he instead started out as one of Quistis' junctions. I'll explain what my epic idea had been once certain fight scenes have come to pass, so as not to spoil anything. _


	34. Chapter XXXIII: The Briefing

**Edited: **_06/12/10_

* * *

**Chapter XXXIII:  
The Briefing**

* * *

What should have only taken twenty minutes (half an hour at most) had taken almost an hour. The trek from the centre of the pillar to the entrance of the Tomb of the Unknown King took an agonizingly long time to accomplish, the blame split between the encounter with the Blorbas and Armadodos, and the following attack by the Gravity Guardian Force. Everyone seemed to feel this way and, as Irvine had suggested, they chose to leave the other issues surrounding the situation behind them, if only for the meantime. The mission depended on their cooperation and they couldn't afford to be at each other's throats over the attack.

Squall's earlier assumption that the monsters now knew of the Brothers defeat and disappearance seemed to hold up, and even after they had finished with Diablos, they were still attacked by the tomb's monsters, which also contributed to just how long it took them to leave. Eventually, they did get out, but mostly thanks to Irvine's specialized ammunition, and when they did everyone took a moment to bask in the fresh air they had been deprived of for the last several hours.

Now that he had the time to think about it, it would have been nice to know about the different kind of specialized ammunition the sharpshooter was toting around. It would have served as a conductive use of their time along the route to Deling City from Galbadia Garden instead of the sulking attitude Irvine had taken up. But what was done was done and, because there was no way to change the past, Squall allowed himself to drop the subject indefinitely.

As she had done after the first day's travel to the Tomb, Quistis had taken the reigns of the car they had rented from the city. The drive wasn't that much different from when he'd been behind the wheel, though he had to admit she had taken her turns less sharply. When the sun had set beyond the horizon, the group would pitch their tents and rest for the night before continuing the journey in the morning. Rinoa – still unused to sleeping in the great outdoors – had confidently proclaimed that she preferred the seat cushions in the back of the car to the grassy dirty ground, but miraculously Zell had changed his tune, resulting in him camping out with the other two guys. It seemed that the brawler and the sharpshooter had sorted out their differences inside the Tomb, much to Squall's relief.

Despite the upcoming mission, Squall saw very little reason to rush back to town now that they had what they'd set out for. As far as he was concerned, the General could damn well sit back and wait for them after having sent them all on this farce of a goose chase. His opinion of the government official had reached an all-time low, and he wasn't about to give the man any favours by rushing back for the mission briefing. Besides, they still had a few days before they had to execute it and that was time they could spend surveying the city and gathering reconnaissance. Everyone could also deal with a break if only to recover from the experience.

Because of that, it took an extra half a day (give or take a few hours) longer to reach the city limits than it had to arrive at the Tomb. No one complained.

They returned the rented vehicle to the car rental shop before setting off to the General's mansion. It was still relatively light out, since the sun was only just beginning to set and businesses were beginning to open up for the night.

"Just think of it like Vampires. The people in this city sleep during the day and party all night," Rinoa had commented when Selphie had brought it up. Squall had also caught sight of Irvine and Zell exchanging glances upon hearing the term of monster used as an example and rolled his eyes in response, not wanting to engage them in conversation. That was something he would much rather not remember.

They all boarded the bus to take them to the mansion. After walking all that distance throughout the tomb, no one wanted to stay on their feet for any longer than they had to. Though the ride wasn't very long, Squall mused to himself about their next step once the mission briefing was over. It would look suspicious if out-of-towners stayed with the General, which meant they would have to find lodgings at a hotel. And even then they would have to be inconspicuous about it so as not to draw any unwanted attention. He supposed Rinoa could stay at the hotel and wait for them while they executed their mission before they figured out what to do about the disastrous situation in Timber.

He was shaken from his thoughts when the bus slowed in its descent. Someone had pulled the cord hanging above the window, signalling the driver to let them off, and when he saw the others move towards the doors, he knew it was their stop. This time, no one was in danger of being left behind, having climbed off the bus as quickly as possible. Selphie had commented off handedly that the city folk were always in a hustle and bustle, and thus always pushed to get to the front of the line. Rinoa had laughed good-naturedly, but otherwise the diminutive SeeD had gone ignored as they made their way down the street and towards the General's home.

When they reached the guard standing at the front of the walkway, he seemed to recognize the travelling group. There was no doubt in Squall's mind that he was the very guard who had sent them on their journey in the first place. He also knew that the first thing Zell was planning to do when he saw that very guard, because the brawler had expressed a violent urge to do so, was to punch him in the face for making them go through the task. While Squall would have loved nothing more than to let the brawler pummel the man into the ground, for the sake of the mission he had, instead, pre-empted the brawler by approaching the man in uniform, handing over the ID badge with the missing student's identification number.

The guard had examined the object for a little under a minute and when he looked back up at them he seemed impressed that they had accomplished the task. He had nodded in response before ushering them to follow him along the walk.

As they walked along the gravel pathway, Squall took in his surroundings out of habit rather than from curiosity. The front lawn was huge and covered in well-manicured grass – whoever tended to it took good care. There were bush hedges surrounding the pathway with security lights that seemed to be built along the side of the gravel walk and, strangely enough, there were also trees that were spread out along the lawn that gave it more of a park feeling than that of the expanse of a home. Further beyond the walkway was the mansion, which looked as though it could have been the size of Balamb Garden (or at least Trabia from what he'd heard). It had the appearance of a fortress rather than a home-like mansion and Squall wondered fleetingly whether or not it could be a base of operations, though that in itself wouldn't explain the covert nature of their mission. From the looks of it, there were at least three levels to the building itself, and a Galbadian Republic flag hung from the side of the building at full mast.

Squall had never before seen a building meant for one person look so large. It was difficult for him to believe that General Caraway lived alone in there. He wouldn't have been surprised to learn that he had a family staying with him. Hell, he could probably fit a portion of an apartment complex in there at the least if he'd wanted to.

The guard pressed a button along the side wall, announced that the guests had arrived and had turned around as he left them, probably to return to his post since his job was done. Squall waited with his arms folded across his chest as he leaned against the wall outside the front door. The others were busy taking in their surroundings with barely restrained awe. Selphie was especially enthralled by the yard and was doing full circles as she eyed everything, seemingly committing the view to memory. Zell, Irvine and Quistis, while not seemingly as fascinated with the décor as Selphie, were taking a look around themselves.

While they were waiting for someone to answer the door, Squall went back to his mental musings, assured that the rest of the team was fully distracted. Despite how much time had passed since he'd last focused his attention to the subject, he was still confused by the mission specifics. Particularly in the Galbadian General's part. Why would he join forces with personnel from the Garden when, for years, he'd been fending the SeeD forces off? He must've seen the Sorceress as a threat and opted to side with his enemy to take the necessary step of getting rid of her. Contacting Garden Master Martine made sense, specifically when he recalled Galbadia's contract with Galbadia Garden, though there was very little else to suggest that the relationship between the military and the Garden was more than just a simple exchange program.

As soon as the questions began to fill his mind, he shook himself of the thoughts. SeeDs were not to question why unless specified to do so. They were the front men, and did as they were told, regardless of whatever reasons the hiring party had. Even if it didn't make any sense, he would follow the orders given to him because it was his job to do so.

"Um..."

Startled from his thoughts, Squall was surprised to find Rinoa's attention fixed upon him when he looked up to regard the speaker. Surprisingly enough, Rinoa was not admiring the scenery as the others were and she appeared tense, almost nervous as she stood beside the Squad leader with her hands behind her back. Upon receiving his attention, Rinoa's gaze shot to the ground and her foot started digging into the ground beneath them, like a child who was being forced to apologize for something they had done wrong. The sight struck him as odd, because normally (aside from Selphie of course) she was the first to explore their surroundings with interest, having done so in the Forest, at Galbadia Garden and even in the tomb. He assumed it was because she'd grown up in Galbadia, but even then she should have been mildly intrigued by the General's home, assuming she'd even taken the liberty of seeing it. And even if she had, he'd have thought her to be memorizing the layout if only for another hairbrained scheme brought to them by the Forest Owls.

And as he wondered about her strange behaviour, he suddenly realized how odd it was that she'd known how to reach the mansion from the very moment they'd set foot in the city. He frowned at the thought, realizing that this could result in a conflict between both General and resistance fighter and hoped she could shelve her opinions at least until after their business was concluded.

He sighed to himself as Rinoa's gaze lingered on her feet and wondered if they should've gone to the hotel first instead of rushing over to the General's home and hidden her there until they'd finished their mission. If the General somehow learned of her connection with the events that had taken place a few days ago, the meeting was going to become awkward and it was something Squall would rather avoid.

But it was too late to do anything now. They couldn't very well drag her to the hotel when they'd already been announced. They would have to play it by ear and hope that Rinoa kept her mouth shut long enough for them to receive the mission briefing.

"Is my contract still in effect?" Rinoa asked suddenly, looking up at him from under her bangs. She looked like a child who'd been caught doing something they really shouldn't have.

_What is it this time?_ Squall asked himself in exasperation. He didn't think she was stupid enough to actually _order_ an attack on the General while they were there, seeing as how the Galbadia Garden officials already knew of their presence. Then again, she had come up with the plan to storm the Television station without taking into account the number of soldiers there, so he supposed it wouldn't have surprised him any if she were to try such a ballsy move. Especially given that General Caraway was the major obstacle between Timber and its independence.

He was more surprised, however, that he'd only just remembered that she was their client. While he'd recalled the mission in general, the thought that she was backing the Forest Owl's operations was a shocking reminder that had laid buried in the back of his mind since their arrival at the Tomb. Since when had he actually thought of the girl as an ally rather than as an annoying boss without a plan?

"Our contract expires when our mission with your group is completed," Squall answered simply. He didn't dare give out anything more than that, unless he wanted to compromise their mission. "The fact that we've been given our current directive doesn't change that and it won't change that unless we've been directed otherwise."

Rinoa sighed in relief, though she still seemed apprehensive. Obviously, that had only been the beginning of her problem and after another pause she bit her lower lip almost tentatively before shifting her weight to one side. "For a second, I was a little worried. So you guys can take multiple missions at once?"

Squall nodded and Rinoa did the same seemingly absent-mindedly. After another awkward moment of silence, she spoke up again. "Don't leave me behind."

Squall stared at her in puzzlement. That was probably the strangest request he'd received from her yet. Why the hell would they leave her behind if she was the client? The look he gave her forced her to hesitate for a moment, and she grinned awkwardly before rubbing her left arm with her right hand. "When the whole thing's said and done, I mean."

Her hand dropped to her side and she gave him a pleading look. "Don't leave me here, _especially_ not in this house. That's all I'm asking you guys to do. It's a very long story that I really don't want to get into, but I will if you want me to."

Squall frowned, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at her. Listening to her explanation was going to take time that they didn't have. Whoever was supposed to answer the door was probably about to do just that and he didn't want to get caught in the middle of a discussion that he would have to finish later. Also, it wasn't any of his business why she didn't want to be left behind in the first place. He would have thought she'd remembered that from their exchange in Timber. "If that's an order, then that's what we'll do," he said with a verbal shrug. "You should know this by now."

Rinoa looked like she wanted to make a comment but stopped herself. There was no doubt in Squall's mind that she was going to start bashing SeeD again. The look Squall gave her when she opened her mouth probably didn't help matters and, after another uncomfortable moment, she shrugged. "Okay then. Thanks."

Squall nodded back and finally the door opened, revealing an elderly looking man dressed in a black suit and tie. "You're the party meeting with the General?"

When Squall nodded, the man ushered them all inside, closing and locking the door behind them as the SeeD took in the front hall. It was very spacious, painted an off-white colour, while the floor was blanketed by a red carpet. There was a chandelier overhead and a set of stairs that curved up onto the landing of the second floor sat a little ways ahead. There were two rooms on either side of them. From the limited view he had from the front door, he saw that they both looked as though they were sitting rooms.

The elderly man seemed to inspect them all visually, as uncomfortable as it made him, Squall couldn't fault him. The man had obviously been made aware of their presence, but he probably had expected someone else to have come waiting to speak to the General about killing the Sorceress. He scrutinized everyone else when he was done taking in the Squad leader. Zell stood ramrod straight during his inspection as though the man was some drill sergeant, and Selphie looked around awkwardly in an attempt to ignore the look she was receiving. Quistis and Rinoa looked impatient and Irvine paid the elderly man no mind.

Squall noted that their greeter was taking an exceptionally long moment in scrutinizing Rinoa, the raven-haired girl narrowing her eyes threateningly in his direction as the seconds passed. The Squad leader cleared his throat to gain the man's attention, who in turn looked up from his inspection. "I will escort you all to the study where the General will meet with you shortly. Currently he is in the process of concluding a conference call with the members of his staff."

* * *

The man (who turned out to be the butler) had led them through the opening on the left hand side facing the stairs and proceeded to direct them down the hall past the first sitting room. All the rooms they had passed were set up neatly, but they looked like they'd rarely ever been used. It was as though they were set up for use by guests who would never come.

The 'study' turned out to be another sitting room at the very back of the house. The farthest wall from the door had a bookcase built into it, and was completely stocked full of books, both thick and thin. A bench and three chairs were positioned around an oak coffee table that had a potted plant sitting on its surface, possibly an attempt to make the room feel less hostile. The floor was carpeted with the wooden floorboards showing and the walls were covered in neutral green wallpaper. Just in front of the bookshelf was a wooden desk, of which Irvine had taken residence. He was sitting back in the big chair behind the object with his feet propped up on the surface. With how immaculately tidy the house (or at least the parts he had seen) was, Squall had the distinct feeling that the General would be less than impressed with the sight. He was also inclined to believe that Irvine wouldn't really give a damn and was thus braced for the confrontation that was bound to ensue

Quistis was sitting on the bench, her arms folded across her chest with her gaze fixed on the table across from her. Squall gathered that she was becoming impatient and was trying not to let it show, though at the same time he was surprised the table hadn't shattered from the intensity of her stare. Rinoa sat in the arm chair closest to the door, mirroring Quistis' gesture while occasionally checking her watch, huffing in indignation after each glance. Zell had originally been seated on a chair next to Rinoa's, but had started pacing soon afterwards, grumbling under his breath as he reached either end of the room. Selphie had occupied herself with the window and was currently standing with her hands clasped behind her back. She had commented just after the waiting had begun that she could see what she assumed to be the Presidential Residence from that room. The Squad leader assumed the General had chosen the room specifically for that purpose. At least now they had a vague idea of how far from the Residence the mansion was.

Squall found himself leaning against the wall near the window beside Selphie, right across from the door. His arms were folded much like Quistis and Rinoa, and he busied himself by taking in the appearance of the room. That didn't stop him from checking the time himself.

He found himself feeling ridiculous. Of course they had plenty of time to prepare, but the General had called this meeting, so why was he making them wait for so long? Also, while Rinoa knew the city well enough, the rest of them sure didn't and he would have liked to have some time to explore just in case they needed to split off after the mission. While they could keep contact between each other because of the mini microphones they still had from the train hijacking mission, he didn't want to risk anyone getting lost in the admittedly huge city.

Zell growled deep in his throat. He'd taken to doing so to express his own displeasure at waiting. He'd done it so often in the last thirty minutes that everyone had taken to ignoring him.

"He's taking _forever_," Selphie commented from the window. She appeared to have become bored just staring out the translucent surface and let out a huff that Squall assumed was supposed to be a sigh.

Irvine hadn't commented for the last fifteen minutes. He'd tipped his hat low in front of his eyes and had made himself comfortable. Squall almost wondered if the sharpshooter had fallen asleep.

"I have to admit, it does seem rather absurd," Quistis said as she leaned back against the bench. Her arms were still folded in front of her chest. "This is an important operation and yet we've already been left waiting for a half hour."

"More like it's just plain ridiculous," Rinoa announced, rising to her feet. If it had the intention of drawing everyone's attention towards her then it worked. "The nerve of that guy! He's _always_ making people wait on him, especially when _he's_ the one to call the stupid meeting. He only does it to make the waiting party sweat. It's outrageous! You'd think he'd _change_ after all this time, but he's still the same stupid rude jerk he's always been."

Seemingly unaware that everyone in the room (including Irvine from under his hat) was staring at her, Rinoa turned around and headed for the door. "I'm gonna go complain."

"But won't you get lost?" Selphie asked, having turned away from the window. Squall pushed himself away from his leaning position as Selphie spoke. "I mean that butler guy had to show us how to get here and I know _I_ wouldn't be able to find my way back."

"Don't worry about it," Rinoa said brightly as she turned the knob and opened the door. "This is my house. I'll find my way back fine."

And she quickly closed the door behind her, seemingly oblivious to everyone's reaction.

* * *

Rinoa rested her back against the now closed door for a moment and let out a shaky breath as her eyes took in the sight of the familiar hallway. She didn't doubt that the others were shocked by her exclamation, but despite the apprehension she felt when she thought of facing them again later, it felt good to finally be able to tell someone the awful truth. Still, she thought that maybe she could've broke the news gentler, but they were SeeDs (well, most of them anyway), so she figured they'd be okay with a little jump start. Besides, it wasn't as though she'd been _trying_ to hide the information, but she couldn't just jump into the conversation and say, 'Oh hey, I'm kind of related to the General you've all been badmouthing, but we've got issues so please continue to bash away'.

While it had been about a year since she'd actually called this place home, Rinoa was sure she'd find everything exactly like before she'd left. That man was so ridiculously organized and against change that she'd have been shocked if he'd opted to rearrange the whole house while she'd been gone. She knew exactly where he would be. He was _always_ locked up in the study near the stairs on the second floor. If he was having a conference call, then that was the obvious place he would be holed up in.

So once she'd steeled herself, she pushed herself away from the door and started towards her destination, hands clenched into fists just thinking about the audacity of the General. When she reached the study, she didn't bother to knock and twisted the knob before pushing the door wide open. She didn't care if she'd interrupted some important official's phone call because there were people who had come a very long way to speak to him. It didn't matter that Galbadia Garden was a train ride away, but the trek to the Tomb of the Unknown King was compound interest to how long they'd had to wait for an audience with the arrogant prick.

She could just picture Squall thinking that the General was so disorganized and she felt a brief glimmer of triumph in knowing that the Forest Owl's had at least had the decency to not force them to wait on them.

But she was shocked to find that the room was empty. There was no one sitting behind the large wooden desk in the centre of the room. There wasn't really much else to the room as it was. The shelves that were stacked with books weren't out of place, and the desk was as tidy as it had ever been. Still, she stepped inside of the room, knowing that there were some secret passages inside of the house. She just didn't know where the one in this room was, or where it led to.

Just as she stepped further into the room to investigate further, someone from behind cleared their throat audibly, disturbing the silence. Rinoa whirled around and her eyes widened when she saw the butler from earlier standing there. At first she thought he was going to reprimand her for snooping, but her eyes widened even more as he grabbed a hold of the doorknob and smiled before saying, "Welcome home, Ms. Heartilly," as he closed the door.

Rinoa ran at the object, grabbing a hold of the doorknob before almost prying it from its place as she tried to twist it open, only to find that the stupid man had locked it. She pounded her fist against the surface, shouting at him through the door to let her out, but all she heard, despite her own voice, was the sound of footfalls as he simply walked away.

* * *

It had been five minutes since Rinoa had left them to complain, but there hadn't been a moment's peace since then. Selphie and Zell were talking animatedly amongst themselves about Rinoa's declaration while Irvine had been so shocked that he'd almost fallen out of his chair. Even now the sharpshooter was no longer feigning sleep, instead sitting back in the chair (his feet still propped up on the desk of course) scratching his head beneath his hat. Quistis just sat on the bench, frowning as she shook her head dismayed.

Squall couldn't disagree with her and he groaned almost inaudibly as he face palmed and shook his head. He really should have let Rinoa explain what she'd meant by her request when he'd had the chance. If he had, he could have planned accordingly, which would have involved appointing someone to drop her off at the nearest hotel or something to that extent. The very last thing they needed or wanted was to be stuck in between some kind of family quarrel that they had no business intruding on in the first place. It was because of his annoyance and a lot of bad decisions that had resulted in this whole mess and now they were stuck without a solution.

"Does _anyone _here know what the hell is going on?" Zell exclaimed, looking from person to person as though they had all the answers. Quistis shook her head while Selphie shrugged from her perch by the window. Neither Irvine nor Squall responded.

Before Zell to start into a tirade that was sure to result in a rather large headache for the Squad leader, the door to the room opened and everyone directed their attention to it. Squall hadn't realized he'd been expecting the person on the other side to be Rinoa until he'd watched the General step into the room in her place. He was rather tall and straight backed, his short black hair was greying at the sides and cropped back into a neat professional style. He was wearing his uniform, with a number of badges that were evidence of his rank adorning the front jacket, his hands were covered in a pair of white gloves and his shoes glinted in the room's light. There was definitely a contrast between father and daughter that reached even the way they presented themselves. The General was more professional in appearance whereas Rinoa was much more casual and passionate.

As he considered those thoughts, the door closed behind the General, making Squall realize that Rinoa was even in the vicinity. He frowned in response. "Where's Rinoa?"

The General didn't appear surprised by this question. It was almost as if he had expected it. "She remains unharmed, but she has been excused from this mission briefing. Rinoa has not received the same kind of training as any of you, and thus would become a burden were she to participate. It is best for all involved that she remains excluded."

While the explanation had merit, Squall knew that the words were just a cover and his frowned deepened. It was obvious that something else was going on, and everyone present wasn't being fooled.

"You're Rinoa's father?" Selphie asked tentatively.

This time, General Caraway was surprised by the statement. He started slightly and seemed even more surprised that no one else mirrored his expression or made any sudden outbursts from this declaration. The expression didn't stay on his features for very long. It was briefly replaced with something more solemn before it too was gone. Squall knew there had been something there, but it had settled back into a neutral expression far too quickly for him to discern it properly. "I can't remember the last time she called me that," he said quietly, confirming their answer.

"So wait a sec..." Zell said. He sounded as though he was still trying to wrap his brain around what was happening. "The father's a top Military Officer working under the government, and the daughter's a member of an anti-government faction?"

The General nodded his head at the uncertain question before Zell slapped himself in the forehead. "That's bad... _really_ bad!"

"Talk about awkward dinner conversations," Selphie added, tilting her head to the side.

"It has become a serious problem, yes," the General commented. "But it is our problem, and no concern of yours."

Squall's frown deepened. He disagreed.

"Besides," the General said as he moved to look out the window, "we have far more important things to worry about than her simple goals for Timber."

He was now starting to see why Rinoa hadn't talked about the General or even mention her relation to him until she absolutely had to. The man was cold and seemingly brutal when it came to matters that weren't part of his interests. It must have been depressing to have lived with him and he couldn't help but become offended by his casual dismissal of such concerns. Rinoa's objectives – the Forest Owls' objectives – were as important to SeeD and to his team as this current operation was. No matter how juvenile the resistance's behaviour was.

Despite knowing that they didn't exactly need the added tension, he knew this needed to be pointed out to the General before they did anything else to ensure that there were no misunderstandings. It was recalling Rinoa's latest request that forced the SeeD into action and, just as General Caraway was about to launch into the briefing, Squall deliberately interrupted him. "Just so we're clear," he said, paying no mind to the aggressive look he was receiving from the General or the shocked expressions that had crossed the features of his comrades, "once this operation is accomplished here, we're working for Rinoa, as per our contract with her. I don't know what your situation is, and to be honest I don't care. But when the time comes to leave, don't interfere."

The General turned to regard Squall, seemingly gauging the teenager before speaking. His expression had darkened somewhat. Squall decided that this man didn't take to being interrupted or even spoken to in this manner very lightly, but he didn't care. He silently wondered if this was where the tactless habit of interrupting people as they spoke came from in Rinoa before he shook it off in favour of hearing the General's rebuttal. "And what if I do?"

_What's his problem?_ Squall wondered mentally but he didn't avert his gaze or move from his position. There was a large gap between the two. Caraway was still standing at the door across the room, and beside him he could tell Selphie was inching away from him, no doubt she didn't want to be a part of the conflict. In turn of the General's scrutiny, Squall took the moment to appraise the elder man. The Squad leader knew the attitude could have had something to do with the manner in which he was addressing the General, but there was something else beneath the surface of it all. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it was enough to know that it was there.

"We're all SeeDs here." Squall's answer was simple, and he heard Quistis rise from her chair. "We'll act accordingly."

From the corner of his eye, he could tell that Selphie, though reluctant, was standing at the ready. In front of him, the same could be said about Quistis and Zell, who were waiting for an order. Whatever he told them to do all three of them were prepared to do it. Not for the first time Squall wondered why he was the one in charge when Quistis was obviously much more qualified and had more experience giving orders.

Caraway was seemingly oblivious to their presence. He refused to look away from Squall and, thus Squall refused to do the same. He could tell just from the man's stance and straightened back that not very many people stood up to the General. He seemed not to know how to deal with him. The man was almost half a head taller than the SeeD, but that didn't make him any more intimidating, after all Seifer had been even taller than that, and it hadn't stopped Squall from standing up to him.

"Hey, hey, hey, Fellas!"

The voice came from the opposite side of the room. Everyone turned to look at Irvine, who had propelled himself over the desk and was now leaning against it. It was a miracle that he hadn't knocked anything over and Squall assumed the sharpshooter was practiced at the act. "We're here ta knock off the Sorceress, not each other, right? So let's get right on down ta business."

While the others exchanged furtive glances, Squall and the General shared one last glaring look before the latter moved past him towards the desk. As he passed the wooden object, Squall noted the General seemed to inspect it before bypassing it altogether and removing three books from the bookshelf. Then he reached into the now empty space and retrieved some papers and a thin black cover book before moving back towards the coffee table.

He gestured for everyone to take a seat. Selphie and Quistis sat on the bench while Irvine moved closer, taking the chair beside Selphie. Zell reluctantly sat between the General and the sharpshooter while Squall crouched down – there weren't enough chairs to accommodate everyone in the room – and watched as the General opened up the rolled paper and laid it out flat across the table. It turned out to be the map of the centre of the city. The archway they had seen from the train station seemed to make up the very centre of the city, as he had suspected upon first arriving into town.

"I'm sure you all know about the Galbadian Government reaching an agreement with the Sorceress Edea," Caraway began, holding the rest of the papers.

While everyone nodded, Squall made a mental note of the name. He frowned thoughtfully as he realized it sounded very familiar, but he couldn't recall knowing anyone by that name.

"There will be a ceremony to commemorate the event," Caraway continued, oblivious to Squall's inner musings. "That ceremony will be held tonight, as will our operation."

"We were under the impression that our operation didn't take place for another few days," Quistis jumped in, frowning as she made her objection. "The files we received with the mission specifics indicated so."

"That was the original plan, yes," the General commented gravely. From the sounds of it, he didn't like it any better than they did. "However, due to the timing of the ceremony, we were forced to re-evaluate our standing and we feel that tonight will be our best opportunity to proceed. We may not get another chance like this again.

"The ceremony will be held just outside of the Presidential Residence. Citizens will begin to gather in roughly two hours time, so we have enough time for the briefing and for you to become acquainted with the area before we proceed any further.

"During the ceremony, you will all split into two separate teams, the Gateway Team, and the Sniper Team."

Squall nodded in acknowledgement. That would mean he would have to figure out who was on what team.

"The Sniper Team will mingle in with the crowd just outside of the Presidential Residence. Around this area will be fine, so long as you don't lose sight of the rest of the team." Caraway pointed to an area across the street from the Residence on the right hand side facing the building. "Once the ceremony ends, there will be a parade for the Sorceress, and that is when the gate in front of the Residence will open. Until then, you are to wait and to avoid drawing any attention to yourselves. If there is any kind of commotion, the parade will be cancelled and our chance will have eluded us. Thus we must avoid this at all costs."

Squall frowned but opted not to say anything. He was starting to feel like he was a little kid again, being lectured for some kind of infraction. The last time he'd checked, Caraway was most certainly _not_ his father, and yet he was treating them all like children being told off for doing something wrong. He didn't like it. He couldn't tell if any of the others were seeing this and wondered briefly if he was just seeing something that wasn't there to begin with.

Either way, the General continued regardless. "Once the gate opens, that is when the Sniper Team will move in from their stationary position and enter the Residence. Inside of the main hall, there is a door that leads into the carousel clock tower beside the Residence. Inside, there will be a sniper rifle for the Sniper's use, and you are to standby inside of the tower until 2000 hours.

"Moving onto the Gateway Team," Caraway continued. "Once the Parade has begun, the float carrying the Sorceress will proceed from here," he indicated towards the front gate, over to the left before circling what looked to be an outer road and moving up, "before continuing further up towards the Gateway. That is where the Gateway Team comes in. Through the Gateway you will find a door that the maintenance workers use to get to the sewers and technical equipment below ground level. Inside, there will be a ladder, but you will take it up to the control room. It won't be difficult to locate the controls for the gate.

"The parade is scheduled to pass beneath the Gateway at exactly 2000 hours. Once she is inside, your job is to activate the gates and prevent the Sorceress from proceeding any further. She will be trapped inside the Gateway with nowhere to go. At exactly the same time, the carousel clock will rise up from the roof of the tower, carrying with it the Sniper team. From then on, there will be no obstruction between the Sniper and the Sorceress. The Sniper will take the open shot. It's as simple as that.

"Hopefully, the operation will go smoothly enough that the Sniper should hit the Sorceress without fail. That being said, it is the most optimistic of our options. I will go over further instructions once you have taken a look around the town and familiarized yourselves with the area. Before you leave, however, I think it would be best if we formed the teams."

Squall frowned. He had thought the General had intended to leave that job to him, but it seemed that he had other plans. "The Sniper will obviously be a part the Sniper team," Irvine tipped his hat forward, "but he will also be accompanied by the leader of this operation. Which one of you is that?"

At once, everyone's eyes fell on him and Squall forced himself not to scowl. He could have answered the question without everyone staring at him. "I am."

Caraway seemed almost surprised by this admission and stared at him for a critical moment before nodding. "Fine. The remainder of this group will form the Gateway Team. I'll leave it up to you to decide the person in charge of the second team."

Zell pumped his fists up into the air and proceeded to shadow box. Squall turned to regard him and knew the brawler thought he would be the one put in charge. The Squad leader also knew the blonde fighter was about to be disappointed, because there was only one person on the Gateway Team who was even remotely qualified for the job.

His decision made, he mentally apologized to Zell before turning to regard her. "Instructor Trepe. Quistis Trepe, you're in charge of the Gateway Team."

Zell froze in his tracks. Selphie giggled at his expense, but Quistis didn't pay either of them any mind. She nodded solemnly before falling into a salute. "Leave it to me."

"Right," Caraway interrupted as Zell hung his head. "You are free for the next hour and a half. It would seem suspicious if everyone arrived too early. Take in the town, and keep out of trouble."

Folding his arms across his chest, he allowed himself to scowl. This time he knew there was something beneath the surface of his comments. The others had caught it quite quickly as well and the Squad leader knew he sure as hell didn't appreciate the General treating them all as though they were like his daughter. The others seemed to feel the same way. They were SeeDs, and they knew what they were doing and how to stay inconspicuous. "We're all SeeDs, here," Squall reminded him in a clipped tone.

The General didn't say anything for a moment, seemingly sizing Squall up once again before he chose to speak. "Report back here in ninety minutes. We'll hold a final meeting here before proceeding with the operation."

* * *

"Just make sure that everything is in order before I get behind that podium!" He snapped into the phone before slamming it down onto the receiver. Running his hands through his greying black hair, he took in a deep breath to calm himself. He had heard that everyone who went into office came out a little greyer, and he was no exception. He was more surprised that his head of hair hadn't turned white with the recent chain of events.

Ever since the announcement in Timber things had been going terribly wrong. First it was that stupid brat who interrupted the broadcast, and then those SeeD people had interfered. The only reason he hadn't launched an attack against the Garden at the first opportunity he could get was because Edea had told him it would only out their schemes. If he wanted to get as much as possible with the Sorceress' help, then he would have to be the better man and pretend to forgive the transgression. So he'd made his cabinet announce that the attack had been by an independent source. As for the punk who'd held him at knife point, Edea had claimed to have taken care of him already.

Timber had been the start of something horrible. His gut was telling him that much. Still, despite whatever he told her, Edea waved it away telling him that it was his imagination playing tricks on him and when she was around he found himself strangely compelled to believe her.

"You seem stressed, Mr. President."

The voice was velvety soft. It held no malice, but Vinzer still recoiled as though physically slapped. The Sorceress was reclining in a chair in the shadows. As always he could barely make out her silhouette. "Is there something the matter?"

"No," Vinzer said at once. Whatever complaint he might have had, she would always say the same thing. "It's nothing Edea. I always become flustered during speech preparations."

"Why must you lie to your allies, Vinzer?"

As much as Vinzer needed her powers for his means, he hated the fact she could read him better than even his wife could. He sighed aloud, already knowing what the resulting conversation was going to be and not looking forward to it. "Because you act like I'm worrying over nothing whenever I _do_ tell you."

"You will never know for certain if you keep it all to yourself," Edea said loftily. "Unless it has something to do with the plan."

Vinzer didn't say anything in response and Edea sighed. "You _are_ worrying too much. Everything is going accordingly, is it not?"

"Yes, but..." Vinzer started but was interrupted.

"The talks concerning the Garden to the west are going the way we wish, are they not?"

"Of course..."

"Vinzer," the Sorceress rose from her seat, but did not come into the light. "There is nothing you need to worry about. After you make your speech tonight, everything will finally fall into place."

"You've got a speech to plan out, don't you?" Vinzer said, unnerved by how calm she was. He'd never really figured out why she never seemed to get angry like anyone else. He supposed that it was simply her temperament, but he didn't want to be around when she finally did lose her temper. People with long fuses tended to explode when they were angry, and that was when thing became the messiest. His wife was the perfect example.

"I already have my speech memorized. It will not be nearly as long nor as captivating as yours, but there is not very much I intend to say anyway."

Vinzer made a huffing sound from the back of his throat. He could feel her eyes on him, and it made him wonder if she ever blinked. "Do not worry, Vinzer." Edea said softly. "After tonight, everything will be as it should."


	35. Chapter XXXIV: Choices

**Edited: **_06/12/10_

* * *

**Chapter XXXIV:  
Choices**

* * *

No one had wasted any time at all in their preparations, the five youths had set out from the mansion in order to explore the city and replenish their supplies within the time afforded to them. Splitting up into smaller groups in order to prevent drawing any unwanted attention their way, they took shifts exploring the gateway in the centre of the city, the immediate area surrounding the Presidential Residence and the shopping district (which was shockingly close to where their mission would be taking place). They scoped the area as best they could, drawing up escape routes that they would take in the event the mission went south and designating a rendezvous point in order to convene and decide what their next move would be.

It was decided that the Gateway team would utilize the sewers in order to reach the General's home, whether they were successful or not, before making plans to meet with the sniper team. It was also decided this way to ensure that Rinoa wasn't left behind to the care of her father, as per her earlier request. Squall had absolutely no intention to leaving her with the General, least of all since she had given him the directive not to. They still had the situation in Timber to take care of after all. In truth, he just didn't trust the General to not have an alternative means of keeping his daughter within the confines of the mansion, regardless of her personal wishes. He could very well imagine a confrontation taking place somewhere along those lines and though he wasn't looking forward to butting heads with an irate father, he would do what he had to.

Or so he told himself.

The city was even more claustrophobic at night, or so Squall discovered as he made his way throughout their locations of interest. People were already beginning to gather around the Residence for the parade and it had proven easy to navigate through the prongs of would-be spectators. All they would have to do was keep their head down and avoid making any trouble. If things went his way, there would be little trouble escaping the scene unnoticed.

The throngs of people seemed to continue on into the shopping district and he (along with everyone else, who was communicating via the earpieces and microphones that had been distributed amongst the team before their departure) had trouble manoeuvring past pedestrians of all ages and sizes as he made his way to the shops that he needed to visit. Eventually he'd managed to replenish his supplies, though by this time he was needed back at the residence. Ordering the rest of his team back to Caraway's mansion, Squall made to do the same.

By the time he arrived, everyone was waiting him back in the room the briefing had been held and soon after that they were joined by the General. The door was closed behind him once he'd been satisfied that everyone participating was present. Squall had become somewhat apprehensive as, despite knowing that keeping her uninvolved was in the best interest of all parties involved, Rinoa's less than mysterious disappearance put him on alert. Wherever she was, it was very likely she was under guard and he made a mental note to remind the Gateway team that they were not to leave the mansion without Rinoa, regardless of what the General said. He told himself it was because she was their client and was loathe to admit that she had become a part of their team (such as it was).

Unfortunately he didn't even have a chance to signal to Quistis that he wanted to speak to her before they set off. Caraway leapt into a recap of the briefing they'd received ninety minutes prior as a matter of course reminding them of their objective, their positions and what they were to do at what time in the briefest fashion possible.

"Now, before we set out," Caraway continued, "I must warn you that this mission was set up because it is _imperative_ that nothing goes wrong. Of course the best case scenario is that the plan goes off without a hitch, but precautions were made in case anything should go wrong. I don't doubt that the Sorceress would utilize any means to prove our failure in this endeavour, which is why she must be stopped at all cost. Should the sniper miss his mark," Irvine waved his hand in a nonchalant motion that suggested he was barely listening. He'd boasted during their break that he never missed, possibly the reason he was chosen for this mission, "or should the Gateway team be apprehended before they are able to trap her, a direct assault will be carried out against the Sorceress, regardless of your position."

"So we bust on in and gank the Sorceress before she ganks us," Zell supplied. The words seemed to suggest they were talking about ordering takeout rather than killing a diplomatic figurehead of the Galbadian republic, though the paler in the brawlers features betrayed the nervousness he felt. Beside him, Selphie nodded nervously but remained quiet and subdued, a stark contrast to her behaviour under normal circumstances. Even Quistis, who had been on plenty of missions before this point seemed on edge and she shifted occasionally as though she weren't able to get comfortable in her seat.

To Zell's response, Caraway shook his head, eliciting confused expressions from each of them. Squall furrowed his brows, having thought along the lines as the brawler, though Caraway needed no prompting in order to elaborate. "Should this objective fail, there would be little point in sending everyone out headlong to face the Sorceress. While an attack from all sides would hinder her, it would hurt our cause as there is a chance she will emerge victorious in either event. Once the gate has trapped the Sorceress, the Gateway team will return here and await further instructions. Should the sniper miss, he too will be expected to return to the mansion in a manner that avoids attracting attention."

Squall's jaw clenched in sudden realization and he steeled himself for what the elder man said. Meanwhile he could feel the eyes of his comrades as they fell upon him, no doubt having drawn the same conclusion as the General pressed on, seemingly oblivious. "Therefore, it will be the leader's role to initiate the frontal attack to ensure that the job gets taken care of."

"So Squall's gonna have to fight the Sorceress?" Selphie asked incredulously. "By _himself_? With no backup?"

"If it comes down to it, yes." Caraway cleared his throat, his expression grim as he continued. "While this objective was initially intended as a covert operation, it was formulated carefully. Whatever the cost, our ultimate goal is the elimination of the Sorceress, even at the cost of our identities."

"But that's suicide!" Zell exclaimed, seemingly appalled by the additional bit of information. "Good or not, there's _no _way anyone can take on the Sorceress alone, not even Squall!"

As they spoke, Squall lowered his head, his forehead resting against the knuckles of both hands as he allowed the information to sink in. After a moment he forced himself to speak, his voice surprisingly steady despite what he'd just learned. "Ours is not to question why."

The reminder came out barely audible, though apparently it was loud enough to hear as the room fell silent in response. He felt eyes upon him again and could envision Selphie and Zell's incredulous stares and Quistis and Irvine's inquiring ones.

Raising his head, he swallowed lightly, fixing the General with a stare that was returned to him in full force. He understood the risks he would be undertaking for the sake of the mission. His would be the very first identity the Galbadians uncovered should he attack head on and whatever link the authorities would make from him would be used to locate his accomplices. He was adamant that it wouldn't get to that and as a result he nodded grimly at the General's unvoiced question, the one asking if he was willing to take the risk at all.

"Then we're all set," Caraway concluded as he rose to his feet. Everyone in the room mirrored the action. "As I'm not expected to make an appearance until later, I'll trust that you find your respective ways to your destinations yourselves. To further maintain your cover, the Sniper Team will leave first and, after a few minutes, the Gateway Team will proceed to their post."

* * *

Soon after they were dismissed, both Squall and Irvine had made their way out the room, presumably on their way to where they would wait. Squall appeared especially calm for someone who had just been told they would be the fall guy should they fail the covert mission. In fact, the only indication that he was even remotely unnerved was the slight paler that had formed in his features. It was miniscule at best, so she wouldn't have been surprised if no one else had noticed.

Knowing that they were forced to wait, Quistis kept her gaze locked on her watch, deciding that five minutes should be more than enough of a head start. While it was good to be set apart from the Sniper team in the views of anyone outside of this operation, they didn't have the luxury of time to stall for too long. Having resigned himself to the fate of waiting, Zell started to shadow box in the corner while Selphie resumed her window gazing not too far away. Both seemed to be waiting for Quistis' order to move out.

According to her wrist watch, it was 1830. Sighing to herself, she realized they still had another hour and a half before the parade would begin, though she assumed the wait would be filled by speeches made by officials, perhaps even the President himself. Aside from this, the waiting would consist of a whole lot of standing around doing nothing. While it seemed as though they had plenty of time as it would only take fifteen minutes to reach the park – in contrast to her earlier musings – the less people to spot them entering the gateway, the better for everyone involved, and undoubtedly the citizens attending the proceedings would be too distracted with getting 'prime' spots for when things finally began to notice three teenagers sneaking off into restricted areas.

She sighed lightly, wishing she had thought to bring a book to read while they waited though she banished the thought from her mind. It would have served as a distraction and in a rush to leave it would have been discovered as evidence, regardless of her assurances that she would remember to take it with her. No, the less she had on her person that could potentially be left behind, the better. Regardless, she understood that they would be in for a long wait.

Forcing herself not to think about it, she rose to her feet, smoothing the wrinkles from her skirt and drawing the attention of her comrades. "It's time. We should be off."

And without a backwards glance, Quistis started off towards the door. The sound of footfalls told the former instructor that Zell and Selphie were close but something from the other side of the door forced her to pause in her stride, her hand inches from the doorknob in front of her.

Just as she forced herself to stop, the door swung open with such a force it was like someone had been thrown into the room. All she could discern ahead of her was a black and blue blur and she was forced to back away a step, though that did nothing to stop the collision that pushed her back even further. Recovering though just barely, Quistis frowned as she looked up and spot Rinoa, who seemed to have just recovered from nearly bowling over the former instructor. Angelo, who had been following her owner ever since they'd arrived at the mansion, sat down by the door, awaiting instructions.

Quistis had wondered where the raven-haired girl had gotten herself since her disappearance, though she didn't doubt the General had a hand in preventing her from returning to them until now. Still, her frown deepened as she realized the situation was just about to become all the more awkward.

Glancing behind her, she caught Zell and Selphie exchanging nervous glances between one another, proving that they shared her unvoiced sentiment. The General had made it very clear the reasons he wanted his daughter to remain uninvolved (reasons that she fully agreed with. Despite how helpful she'd proven inside the Tomb, this mission in particular was no place for the raven-haired girl, who was most certainly the most inept of the group). Unfortunately, it was going to be aggravatingly difficult to get out of the house without her, let alone without telling her where they were going. The girl had a penchant of being annoyingly nosey and coming up with the most appropriate questions when she wanted to know something, mostly at the inopportune moments.

"Sorry about that," she said brightly before she muttered something the elder girl couldn't hear.

Once again, Quistis suspected the General's hand in the girl's disappearance and suppressed the irritated sigh that threatened to escape her. Why the hell couldn't she have escaped ten minutes from now?

"Did that man say anything?" Rinoa asked curiously.

Obviously because she was to remain uninvolved, they couldn't very well tell her that they were getting the mission underway already. However, Quistis doubted very much that she would believe the General just called them up here in order to exchange pleasantries.

"Nothing important," Zell said for her, lying with some difficulty. Selphie just shook her head wordlessly, opting to say nothing and thus leaving the lying to the remainder of her team.

"Good," Rinoa said through a sigh of relief. Quistis almost pitied her, the raven-haired girl believing she hadn't been gone long enough to miss anything. Just as Quistis thought that perhaps today they were in the clear, the raven haired girl took in the room, a tiny frown tugging at her features as she noticed something was amiss. "Where's Squall? Irvine's gone too."

_Dammit,_ Quistis cursed to herself before cursing the girl's strangely acute observation skills. It seemed as though whenever they needed her to focus she couldn't, but when they were banking on her to be completely oblivious, she couldn't let a detail escape her notice. It was aggravating, especially because she _knew_ what the younger girl would say when she learned that she was being left out.

Unfortunately, Quistis didn't have enough time to come up with a reasonable sounding lie that would appease the raven haired girl, or even a reasonable explanation as to why she had to remain at the mansion, outside of the truth of course. "Rinoa, I'm sorry, but we've got to get going," Quistis said instead, avoiding her question. "We've got something important that needs to be attended to, and it can't-"

"Great," Rinoa interrupted cheerfully. Quistis wondered if she had gotten into that irritating habit because her father never listened to her, but opted to keep her opinion to herself for the time being. "You can tell me all about that in a second."

Rinoa reached into one of the pockets of her flimsy looking jacket and produced a small silver bracelet. From the looks of it, it was very expensive, with an assortment of rubies, sapphires and pearls adorning the outer side. Other than that, it seemed rather simple, but it was the simplicity of the object that brought out its beauty. Quistis wondered fleetingly why the General would have something like this in his home, but didn't have to wait long to find out. "I found this in that man's room. It's called an Odine Bangle."

Quistis frowned thoughtfully, even as Zell and Selphie crowded in for a better look. An Odine Bangle was one of the many assortment of items used to seal a Sorceress' powers. It had been created by a scientist from the east – the product had been named after its inventor.

"Odine?" Zell exclaimed as he took a better look at the bracelet. From the sounds of it, he knew of the brand well enough.

"It's pretty," Selphie commented before throwing Rinoa a quizzical look. Quistis wished the younger girl hadn't asked. "Whatcha gonna do with it?"

"Well," Rinoa said as she pushed her way into the room, staring fixedly at the piece of jewellery as she carelessly tossed it from hand to hand, the object sailing through the air between her outstretched palms. Quistis resisted the urge to slap herself in the forehead at the sight. If the object was so important, why was she treating it like it was some old plaything that could easily be replaced?

"It's _supposed_ to suppress the Sorceress' power," Rinoa continued, oblivious to Quistis, "but I don't know much about it myself. That man probably doesn't know any more than I do, and since it was sort of stashed away, I doubt they're gonna use it for the mission you guys are here for."

The raven-haired youth caught the object much like she would an errant tennis ball before flashing the trio a grin. "Which is kind of sad, really. They could've accomplished _so much_ using this thing. I heard that Sorceresses are really vain and love jewellery, which is probably why the guy who invented this thing went for that kind of look."

"Where'd you hear that?" Zell asked curiously. Rinoa shrugged in response.

"I read it in a book somewhere," she answered with a verbal shrug as she started tossing the object again.

"Wait…" Selphie said, her eyes having gone wide. "Back up a second. You went snooping through the General's things?"

"No!" Rinoa said, though she didn't sound very convincing. Either way, she nearly missed catching the Odine Bangle, but she scrambled to catch it before it fell against the carpeted floor. Fortunately she was quick and the object barely touched the ground before Rinoa held it clasped between her palms. "I found it lying around…in a box… in the desk drawer…which was locked… anyways, that's not important. It was there, and I found it."

"Well, it's definitely Odine brand," Zell said, nodding his approval. "It _should_ work. Odine brand's number one when it comes to magical goods."

"Exactly what I'd heard," Rinoa agreed quite happily.

As Rinoa's explanation droned on, Quistis found herself wrestling with a very violent urge to wipe that stupid grin off the raven-haired girl's face. She had folded her arms across her chest, tapping her fingers against her forearm impatiently. She had to thank the Garden Lieutenant for bestowing onto her the annoying habit.

"If _I_ were him," Rinoa continued, "_I'd_ have done a bit more research and used this thing in the mission. It'll probably make things easier too. Like I said, Sorceress' are said to be vain and-"

"So what exactly do _you_ plan to do?" Quistis finally snapped as she unfolded her arms and balled her fists at either side of her. She'd had enough of humouring this girl and they were running behind as it was. "Offer it to the Sorceress and hope to Hyne she's stupid enough to slip it on without realizing what it is?"

She held out the palm of her left hand and slammed her balled fist into it as she strode over towards the raven haired girl, emphasising each word she said, "Who? When? How?"

Rinoa looked slightly affronted by the tone Quistis was using, and raised an eyebrow as she put her hands on her hips. "_That's_ what we're going to discuss."

If she hadn't had such good restraint, she probably would have started tearing out hair, and she couldn't decide whether it would have been Rinoa's or her own. The girl was selfishly trying to inject herself into the mission despite knowing the risks and, while it was rather admirable that she wanted to play a part, it was all for selfish reasons. Just because _daddy_ didn't pay enough attention to her as a child, she wanted to prove that she could fight alongside the professionals.

Okay, they weren't _exactly_ professionals, but they were more experienced in these kind of situations than the civilian girl playing resistance fighters. She couldn't humour her any further, there just wasn't enough time. "Right now?" She asked incredulously.

It took a second for Rinoa to realize it wasn't a rhetorical question and she nodded but before she could add anything, Quistis cut her off, the tone of her voice enough to cause both Zell and Selphie to jump. "We don't have _the_ _time_ to hear it! Squall and Irvine are already standing by for _their_ part in the mission, and _we_ have places to be and our own operations to carry out as well. Just standing here and talking to you about this is wasting precious time that _we do not have_! You understand, don't you? This is _important_!"

Rinoa opened her mouth to argue, but Quistis didn't want to hear it. "I don't _care_ what kind of history you have with your father but you have absolutely _no_ sympathy from me. _Grow up_! It isn't _our job_ to mediate your stupid family issues. You have a quarrel with your father, fine, but deal with it between yourselves. Just do us all a favour and leave us out of it. This isn't a game, Rinoa. People are depending on us to do our part, and I won't let anyone, least of all _you_, get in the way of that!"

Quistis stormed off without another word, clenching her fists so tightly the muscles in her hands were beginning to cramp, but she didn't care. All she knew was that she had to get as far away from Rinoa as soon as possible before she said or did something she was going to regret down the road…

* * *

"I'll try to buy you as much time as I can, but as soon as I start moving I need you to get out of position and away from the scene as fast as possible," Squall was saying as they made their way through the park. There were many people around, but most of them were so absorbed by their own things that they paid the pair little mind. He doubted it would be a problem making sure that they weren't overheard.

"What're ya on about?" Irvine drawled and Squall suppressed the sigh that almost escaped him. What _else_ would be he talking about?

"I'm talking about our contingency plan," Squall elaborated.

Unfortunately he was cut off before he could say anything else. "That won't be necessary. I'll get the job done."

Squall rolled his eyes. "But in the event…"

"Relax Squall." The drawl held a sense of calm that irritated the SeeD slightly. So far he had yet to see Irvine take anything seriously when he wasn't in the thick of trouble. "I get it. Knockin' off tha Sorceress is a huge thang. I _won't_ miss. Ya won't even hafta get ya hands dirty."

Somehow Squall found he was not reassured by the affirmation but he forced the subject to drop. Nagging at the sharpshooter wasn't going to help them and it was a waste of breath to try from the looks of it. All along Irvine had been boasting and bragging about how great a sharpshooter he was and how he never missed a shot in his life. Now was the time to prove it.

He just hoped it didn't cost them the mission.

Instead of talking about the mission, Squall forced himself to take in their surroundings as they pressed on to their destination. There streets were crawling with Galbadian soldiers, most of them herding the civilian spectators into designated areas so as to not obstruct the path the parade would take. The road leading from the Residence to the Gateway and beyond was clear and unobstructed. The General hadn't been kidding when he talked about a clear shot. Gaging from the height of the Presidential Residence and the area beyond, he knew it would be an easy kill, so long as they acted quickly.

The sight of the soldiers unnerved him a bit. While they were nowhere near the position they would need to be when Irvine took his shot, they would prove to be a large obstacle should he be forced to charge in. He would have to find a means of avoiding them in his charge. It was inevitable that they would slow him down if he failed but with his junctions it shouldn't be a problem to push past them. That said, he'd rather avoid it at all costs.

He kept these thoughts to himself though, knowing Irvine would only chastise him for thinking on the worst case scenario. In Squall's opinion thinking only about the positive outcome and not planning accordingly was just asking to get killed and regardless of how confident the sharpshooter was in his ability, Squall would be damned if he was caught without a backup plan.

"So…" Irvine's voice broke through the SeeDs thought and with an irritated sigh, Squall gave him his undivided attention. "Is it true that SeeDs aren't, like, s'pose ta question their operations?"

At first, Squall wondered where the subject was coming from but thought back to his words near the end of the mission briefing. His words of reminder might have sounded strange to Irvine but he was usually so blunt about his questions. For him to dwell on it and not bring it up sooner was worrying, though Squall kept his features neutral, wondering what this was about.

"What do you care?" Squall asked, recalling that Irvine was not a SeeD member. He'd already been forced to endure Rinoa's thoughts and snide remarks about SeeD (the experience turning out horribly if he recalled correctly) and he would be damned and let someone else badmouth SeeD because they were trained to follow orders and not question them.

But that didn't mean he didn't have his reservations about the mission on the whole, particularly in regards to the role he might have to play. Should Irvine fail, despite his overwhelming confidence in his own abilities, it would come down to him. _He _would have to face the Sorceress. It would fall onto his shoulders and he wasn't completely convinced that he was up to the task. Still he would try, though he was already feeling the pressure.

"I was just askin'," Irvine said defensively. "No need ta get all bent outta shape. All's I know is even Galbadian soldiers question their orders once in a while."

All Squall offered the sharpshooter as a response was a pointed glare from the corner of his eye. Irvine took the hint, raising his hands up in the air as a form of surrender. "Alright, alright, I get it. But lemme at least ask ya this. Do ya reckon there's such a thang as pure evil? Do ya get all hyped up if ya know that's what yer enemy is? Pure evil, I mean."

The Squad leader didn't stop, no matter how much he wanted to knock some sense into the sharpshooter. Why was it any of his business whether or not he believed in such trivial matters? Yeah, they travelled through a tomb together, but they'd barely known each other a week and the guy was trying to get into his head. He'd have to direct him to Quistis on that subject, though he was almost hesitant to do so. For starters, the last thing he needed was the former instructor pissed at him because he'd unleashed the most horrible thing in a woman's mind upon her for no apparent reason (he still hadn't forgotten about Rinoa and Selphie's indignation of being 'stuck' with the sharpshooter on the way to the train station outside Galbadia Garden), but he refused to even imagine the sharpshooter predicting his thoughts or finishing his sentences much like the elder woman did.

Besides, evil and good were just terms people used to label things. Everyone was raised to believe that evil was bad and good was, well, good, if only to keep them in line. More so, they were convenient labels used to justify ones actions, particularly warring sides. People blamed each other for doing wrong all the time and it was just a matter of opinion in the end.

Squall couldn't help but wonder if there really was a good or an evil. When looking back at the history books, he always noticed that the 'good guys' were usually defined as the winners of the war, and that evil was always trounced in the end. But did that make them wrong in the end? If history was rewritten and the ones who lost were the ones who'd actually won, would _they _be hailed the heroes with their adversaries the villains? What would the history books say about them, both if they succeeded and should they fail? Which side of the coin would they fall under?

The SeeD shook his head of these thoughts, knowing that he couldn't afford to let himself become distracted by them. Instead he focused on his surroundings and, when the sharpshooter started speaking again, Squall realized the cowboy could not take a hint. "Alrighty then, do ya at least _thank_ that yer on tha right side? In yer opinion at least?"

Once again Squall didn't provide an answer. It seemed fairly obvious to him at least that it didn't matter what he thought. SeeD was paid to do a job and they did it. For SeeD, it was a matter of what the orders of the client were. Everything he believed was fixed solely on the prospect of war or enemy nations and, to SeeD, a client was a client. Whatever missions Garden accepted was what SeeD sent out to accomplish. That was all there was to it.

At long last, Irvine fell silent, seemingly mollified by the fact that Squall refused to answer his questions and, eventually, the pair was standing behind a crowd of animated people lined up right at the gates of the Galbadian Residence. From what he could make out beyond the gates told him that the residence itself was large, huge even, far bigger than Caraway's expansive mansion. A large wall attached to the front gate stood tall and almost proud, its task to keep unwanted guests out of the perimeter. It made him realize exactly what the General had meant during the briefing. Just by looking at it Squall realized neither he nor Irvine would be able to scale it, not without attracting unwanted attention to themselves, and would thus be impossible to get in through that means. They would have to wait for the gate to open up and use the parade as a distraction as they sneaked passed the guards and inside the building.

Flags bearing both the symbols and colours of the Galbadian nation were littered about the compound in proud patriotic fashion, waving gently in the evening breeze that blew out the area. Most pointedly were the two oversized banners that stood on either side of the podium that had been set up along the second floor balcony that overlooked the courtyard. At the angle they stood, there was very little else they could take in of the residence, though Squall could easily guess that the hatch leading into the clock tower neighbouring the large building was out of few, most likely somewhere on the second floor.

Proving the location of their eventual destination was a tall tower that stood close to and almost behind the residence, marked in digital block-like numbers was the current time right down to the second. Just ten minutes before 19 hundred hours from the looks of it. Just taking in the sight made the SeeD realize just how much time they would spend waiting for the dictator to emerge from his dwellings and begin the proceedings before unleashing the parade upon the citizens who had gathered here tonight. That would be when they made their move…

* * *

She hadn't moved from the room since Quistis had left. Even after Selphie and Zell had wordlessly followed the blonde girl out, she hadn't even so much as budged from her spot on the floor. In fact, she'd lost track of the time just sitting there with her arms curled around her legs, sniffling miserably as the former instructor's words reverberated through her mind. She was trying hard not to try, trying hard not to appear as pathetic as she felt right then. Seeing her mistress' distress, Angelo had moved from her spot at the door and was currently laying curled up beside her, whining occasionally in an attempt to garner her attention. She was left relatively ignored.

Quistis didn't understand her at all, not even a little bit. She hadn't even _tried _to see things from her point of view and it caused Rinoa to laugh bitterly. The blonde's life must've been utterly perfect for her to be able to look down her nose at her. Rinoa could just see it now, the picture perfect family of Quistis Trepe, where everything fit nicely into a neat little package. A family where nothing went wrong, where everyone got along fine with one another and no one blamed each other for stupid things that happened out of the blue that were out of everyone's control.

What Rinoa would give for a family like that.

She didn't know exactly when the disputes and the constant fighting and arguments had started between them, but she assumed it had happened shortly after her mother's death. Rinoa remembered her mother fondly as a woman who adored her family, who was the tie that kept them together. When she'd been alive, she'd been the most loving and caring person Rinoa had ever known. She was like a free spirit, someone who lived life to the fullest without worrying about stupid things like order and what was proper. She only cared about if everyone around her was happy, that was all that mattered.

She was only five years old when her mother had been killed in a car accident. She'd been on her way home from shopping when a careless driver had hit her from behind and forcing the car to be hit from the side by a third vehicle. The other people involved had come out alright, but her mother had sustained internal injuries that caused her to bleed out. She passed away during the ambulance ride to the hospital.

And what was once a happy picturesque family was gone. Her mother's passing had proven just what had been keeping the family together all along and it didn't take long for it all to fall apart, despite their good intentions. The General – because Rinoa had long since stopped thinking of him as her father – started throwing himself into his work with the army, leaving Rinoa, his only remaining family, in the care of hired help. The feelings of neglect she felt were still strong to this day and they brought on an anger she never would have believed anyone capable of shouldering.

The worst part of it all was the lies that he used to excuse his actions, the half-assed excuses he would make to explain the missed dance recitals, or why he couldn't make family gatherings from the clubs she attended early on in school. Why he couldn't be there to take her to school dances, or the embarrassing instances of being forced to walk home from school after waiting two hours for the man to drive her home, only to learn that he couldn't because he was stuck in meetings and concessions all day long.

As his career climbed to new heights, their relationship worsened to the point where he felt the need to control every little thing she did. From the way she dressed, to the people she hung out with, to the boys she dated, _he _had to be the one pulling the strings. He would come up with the most asinine and strict rules to limit what little she could control and by the time she turned sixteen, Rinoa had had enough. She had packed up her things (what little she could carry with her) and ran out into the night, taking a train to Timber without any idea of where she was going and not really caring, only knowing she had to be as far away from _him _as humanly possible.

And now she found herself back inside of this horrible house, stuck with the very person she was trying to get away from. The last thing she needed was perfect Quistis throwing it all back in her face.

Rinoa _knew_ this mission wasn't a game. She'd never said or even _hinted_ that she thought it was. Rinoa wasn't stupid, she understood exactly what was going on here. It wasn't like she didn't have some kind of plan. Who had come up with the idea to keep the Minotaur GF's up off the ground long enough to check the dingy old coffin inside the tomb? Who had been fending off attacks from the Devil-demon GF who'd attacked them shortly after while half the team was pressed flat against the bridge and couldn't even raise their heads? Quistis sure as hell hadn't objected to her help _or _her suggestions back then, back when they were in trouble and they could use all the help they could get. She hadn't thought of her as some stupid spoiled child who was trying to poke her nose into places that didn't concern her.

_Now_ it seemed like a different story. _Now_, because some dumb Sorceress was involved, it was time to push Rinoa along like a child who'd gotten into something they shouldn't have and tell her that it was the 'grownups' job to do the dirty work.

Rinoa huffed in her indignation. They had practically viewed her as part of the team _before _they'd returned to Deling City. She'd proven herself in the tomb and even during the trip to and from, so why should their knowledge of who her father was make a damned difference?

The door opened from behind her. Rinoa lifted her head and inclined it in that direction curious to know who was intruding on her fuming, only to find one of the subjects of which she loathed standing just a little bit inside of the room. The General watched her wearily, almost as though she were a mental patient who was about to spring up and bite him in the shoulder. Narrowing her eyes at the very sight, Rinoa just lowered her head wordlessly and gestured for him to leave.

There was no indication that he was leaving as she'd requested, and yet he didn't say a word for a moment. He just stood at the doorway, even as Rinoa mentally pleaded for him to leave her alone. But Hyne couldn't have that. The stupid god just had to spit in her face. Instead of heading her silent pleas, the General cleared his throat in preparation to speak. Rinoa rolled her eyes from beneath her arms, knowing exactly what was bound to come flying from his mouth. They would be words and assurances that he was right and that she should just deal with it.

She honestly didn't know why he even bothered anymore. They both knew she'd stopped listening a long time ago.

"This is for your own good," the General said softly, proving her suspicions correct. "It'll be chaos out there in a while, so it's better if you stay here where it is safe."

"I never asked you for protection," Rinoa snapped, fully aware that her voice was muffled from behind her arms. She didn't care though. If he had to stand in the same room as her, she wasn't about to look at him. "I _came_ with those guys. I should be out there _with_ them."

"You seem to forget that you're not SeeD," the General's tone was sharp, the same kind of tone he would use whenever she was getting scolded for breaking one of the many rules he'd instilled. She rolled her eyes again at the reminder. "If Martine hadn't called me when he did, I wouldn't have been able to save face, though it seems you've already involved them in our business."

"They have every right to know who they're working with and for," Rinoa snapped, raising her head. "And they know well enough not to ask questions. They _know _it's none of their business. Your _buddy _Martine seems to like to stick his nose where it doesn't belong though. I never told him to call _you_ in the first place." She laughed bitterly, brushing her bangs from her face with her right hand and throwing a scathing look over her shoulder. "I guess people are only allowed to meddle when they're taking _your_ side on things, huh?"

"If I had only gotten the message sooner," the General continued, sighing in exasperation as he spoke. "I would have permitted my guard to allow you back here. It's bad enough you were sent to the Tomb with the SeeDs. I just don't want you to become involved in this."

"Yeah, and it was such a shame I didn't have you there to hold my hand, right?" Rinoa shot back sarcastically. "Yeah right, that's what you _want_ to believe, isn't it? That I'm dependant on you and your rules, and your way of life. But the truth is I held my own _just fine_ without you. I fought alongside those guys as equals and was even considered one of them for those last few days. _You_ just can't stand to think that I'm my own person, that I can make my own decisions and take care of myself. I'm seventeen years old now and I don't need you to dictate my every action or thought!"

She was almost to the point of screaming, that was how furious she was at this man who was supposed to be her father, and yet was nothing more than her prison keeper. Her little speech didn't appear to have had any effect on the elder man, however, or if it did she couldn't tell. He always had such a good poker face, and she wondered briefly what would happen if the General and Squall were set in the same room on opposing sides to an argument.

She knew exactly who she'd be rooting for however.

"That still remains to be seen," the General finally said quietly, lifting his jaw while seemingly daring Rinoa to protest. "You may not acknowledge it anymore, but I _am_ your father, and I know what's best for you. And right now, keeping you here, in this room, is for your own good."

"And exactly what _good_ would that..." Rinoa started but cut herself off as the General closed the door behind him on his exit. She heard a key slide into the doorknob and, eyes widening, she pulled herself to her feet and, leaving her dog to sit alone on the floor, ran at the door, pulled at the handle but finding that it was locked. "Let me out of here! You can't keep me here! This is kidnapping!"

The General – the man who was supposed to be her father – ignored her and she heard his feet moving away from the door. After pounding at the door for a good two minutes and throwing curse words he'd never in a million years have heard her use in any other situation, she leaned back against the wooden surface. Searching the room with an irritated glare, she tried to remember if it had any secret passages she could use to escape. Then she took notice of a picture on the wall beside the desk and smiled. It was the one she would need to use to get to the Residence.

Recalling what she had to do, she turned towards the shelf next to the door. Further along she discovered that the wall was curved and a statue of a young woman with her hands cupped together as though holding something. Smiling to herself she remembered what she had to do. She grabbed one of the wine glasses off the shelf, and placed it into the cupped hands of the statue. The hands depressed and the whole statue swung to the side, revealing a passage that led into a dark corridor. Her grin widened into a smirk, and she walked inside, pulling on a lever that closed the door behind her.

If she had it her way, the General would never know how she managed to escape. He thought he was the only one who knew where all the secret passages were and where they led. But Rinoa knew that this one in particular led to a manhole directly behind the Presidential Residence – she'd accidentally found it years before she'd even thought of leaving Deling City altogether. It was perfect. She could meet up with the others there. If Deling was working with the Sorceress, then there was no doubt in her mind that that was where the two of them were going to be.

* * *

It had only been about ten minutes since they'd arrived, and already Zell was bored. He yawned loudly and stretched with his arms raised up over his head while his hands turned into fists. He couldn't remember ever being this bored before in his whole life.

Selphie grinned at him suddenly and before he could do anything, she used her index finger to poke him right between his ribcage, hitting his liver. He jumped back with a yelp of pain mingled with surprise and watched her wearily as she giggled. If she was so bored, why didn't she just look out the window like she always did?

The girl seemed to read his mind, because her grin broadened as she spoke smugly, "If I stood at the window, someone would see me."

"Then find something _else_ to do!" Zell snapped, rubbing the spot she'd poked gingerly. "Leave my liver and all my other internal organs alone."

Selphie laughed lightly at him, pointing at him as she did. Quistis leaned against the wall beside the controls, her arms folded across her chest, and her gaze at the floor. Obviously she was thinking about something. The former instructor had been like that since they got to the Gateway (without anyone noticing, which was a bonus in Zell's mind), and he hadn't wanted to disturb her. All the same, he wondered what was on her mind.

After a moment of silence past between the two, Quistis sighed audibly and looked up before moving away from her post and heading for the ladder. "What're you doing?"

"Maybe I was too hard on her," Quistis said and at first Zell couldn't figure out what or who she was talking about.

Selphie, on the other hand, seemed to pick up on it. "You mean Rinoa?"

Quistis nodded and Zell suddenly got a very bad feeling about this. "So where you going?" Zell asked tentatively.

"To apologize."

"But we can't leave our post!" Selphie protested, even as Quistis proceeded down the ladder.

"We're not _all_ going," Quistis assured them both. "I'll go alone. I shouldn't be gone too long, but if I am, just activate the controls without me. It shouldn't take more than one of you. And at any rate, we've still got plenty of time before 2000 hours."

And the former instructor disappeared through the gap in the floor.

Selphie, who had risen to her feet, started shifting anxiously from foot to foot, staring at the ladder before redirecting her gaze towards the controls to the gate and Zell's jaw dropped. "Oh no! Now way, Selphie! You can't _possibly_ be thinking of going after her! We've got a mission!"

"But what if something _happens_?" Selphie protested through a whine. As the moments passed, she looked even more anxious. "What if she gets spotted by Galbadian soldiers and they get her completed surrounded? What if she needs our _help_?"

She suddenly stopped shifting, her mind apparently made up. "That's it. I'm going with her."

And she followed Quistis down the ladder.

Zell groaned loudly, slapping himself in the forehead before resuming his seat beside the window. He folded his arms tightly in front of him. There was no way in _hell_ that he was leaving his post. _Someone_ had to stay where they were supposed to. Sure, it was dull, staring at the same piece of machinery for hours on end, but there was no way in hell he was getting into any kind of trouble.

And yet, the room seemed eerily quiet now that Selphie and Quistis had left him alone, despite the sounds coming from the growing crowd outside. There were shadows in the room. It wasn't lit all that well, and the effect was kind of creepy. Also knowing that there was a Sorceress somewhere nearby was very unnerving.

Finally, after holding out for about a minute longer, Zell jumped to his feet, climbed down the ladder as fast as he could and ran out of the Gateway, calling for Selphie and Quistis to wait up.

* * *

_Five more chapters until the finale..._


	36. Chapter XXXV: The Antagonist

**Edited: **_06/12/10_

* * *

**Chapter XXXV:  
The Antagonist**

* * *

It hadn't taken long to reach the park once they'd finally managed to leave the mansion, so it had been a logical response to assume the trek back would be equally short. This proved to be a mistake as the trio had unanimously decided to meld into the group to avoid drawing the unwanted attention of the soldiers patrolling the area near the Gateway. He wouldn't have been surprised to have learned the area was off limits to everyone, with the exception of the city maintenance crew. If they'd had a bit more time, they could have somehow acquired the uniforms needed to blend in with the city workers (after all, everyone got their uniforms from somewhere, even SeeD), but such was not the case here.

Regardless, it would have been far easier to navigate the throngs of people if they thought they were important enough to warrant stepping aside and letting them through. Zell made mental note in the back of his mind and envisioned it like that of a sticky note that read in big bold letters 'moving against the crowd in a busy populated area is like trying to swim upstream: difficult!'

It was mostly thanks to their junctions that they'd been able to work their way around the crowds and the rest of the trek had been a cake walk. The guard, who was still standing at his post on the sidewalk, had allowed them inside without question, as though he had no idea they weren't due to return for quite some time. He hoped to high heaven that they didn't run into the General because it would be a very awkward conversation that would ensue should they encounter him. He had no idea how he would explain their presence in the mansion when they were supposed to be at the Gateway waiting to trap the Sorceress, especially when it was because Quistis felt the need to apologize for hurting his daughter's feelings.

He could just imagine how _that _would turn out.

More importantly, he had no idea why Quistis would feel the need to apologize in the first place, not when it'd been almost painfully obvious that neither girl got along. They'd made it known (according to Selphie, at least) that they hated each other, so why would Quistis, who was all about rules and regulations and upholding the Garden code, sacrifice it all for someone she didn't even like? And why _now _of all timing?

The front door had been surprisingly left unlocked, though Zell had very little time to question it as they passed through the threshold and into the mansion. He knew that _he _had no idea how to navigate the massive building so he resigned himself to follow Quistis, thus depending on her to get them to their destination. He could only assume that Selphie was doing the same.

After a long walk made up mostly by twists and turns the brawler tried fruitlessly to commit to memory, they finally made it back to the room where they'd left Rinoa in when they had left. The former instructor twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open easily before she ran into the room. Without thinking, Zell and Selphie charged in after her.

"Rinoa, I'm sorry, I..." Quistis started before she gasped and stopped suddenly. Zell skidded to a stop just as soon as the former instructor did, just barely nudging her forward and thankful that his shoes had traction. Selphie wasn't nearly as good as them, however, and after a second of relief Zell found himself knocked into a heap onto the carpeted floor, with the diminutive SeeD on top of the pile and Quistis almost buried on the bottom.

The Gateway team leader and the brawler both groaned loudly, the former searching for her glasses (which had been knocked off during the collision) while Selphie apologized profusely while she fumbled back up to her feet. Zell decided then and there that Selphie's clumsiness was gonna be the end of them.

"She's gone," Quistis moaned aloud, replacing the glasses, which had fallen to the floor when she'd been knocked off her feet, to their resting position along the bridge of her nose.

Zell took a look around the room and realized the former instructor was right. Rinoa wasn't where she'd been the last time they'd seen her. In fact, Rinoa wasn't in the room at all. The desk was clear and so was the sitting area they'd all had their briefing. Just when he thought she might have even left the house, he heard a bark come from the area near the coffee table. He looked over the blue chair in front of him and, sure enough, there was Angelo lying on the cushion of the chair. She had been lying curled up in a circle, but at the sounds of company she must have looked up (which was what she was doing now) and was panting happily, her tail wagging at the sight of them.

Selphie leaned over the chair and scratched behind the dogs ears while Quistis looked on in confusion. "Rinoa wouldn't just _leave _Angelo behind."

"Do you think something happened?" Selphie asked, looking back over at the former instructor.

Quistis bit her lip. Zell realized the thought hadn't occurred to her and figured it was just making her feel even guiltier. "Well she couldn't have gotten very far," he pointed out, trying to distract the other blonde SeeD. "We'll just have to…"

There was a loud click from behind them. All three SeeDs whirled around to see the source and noted nothing out of the ordinary. After a second, Quistis groaned and made for the door. Zell didn't know what was wrong until the former instructor had reached for the doorknob and pulled at it and he felt the panic rise up from the pit of his stomach when the object stayed connected to the door frame. They had left the door open when they'd first run into the room, but since then, it must have steadily closed shut behind them. There wasn't much wrong with that, except the brawler was absolutely positive that he'd never heard a door close with a clicking sound before.

Unless of course it was locked from the outside.

Quistis fumbled with the doorknob, twisting it this way and that, but the only reward she received was the sound of clicking as the object was blocked from completing the act she was trying to accomplish. This sound mingled with her breath, which was coming out in quick panic-stricken bursts. Selphie and Zell could only watch on in silence as the instructor all but pulled the door right off its hinges with the force she was using, causing the clicking and rattling to grow in volume. Finally she backed away from the door and kicked at it in her frustration before running her hands through loose blonde strands.

Zell's gaze returned to the door, somewhat shocked that nothing Quistis had done had managed to pry it open. Stepping forward, he rapped his knuckle against the surface experimentally, and frowned as he backed away, realizing that the sound was not reminiscent to someone knocking on wood. He couldn't help but wonder if the wood finish had been slapped over some kind of metal, and wouldn't have been surprised if that had been the case.

"Did we just get locked in?" Selphie asked from her spot behind the blue chair. There was a panicked edge in her voice as she spoke and if her tone hadn't betrayed it then the look in her wide eyes certainly did.

"Rinoa was in this room when we left," Quistis said. It sounded like she was piecing something together, "and the door was closed when we got back..."

Zell finally understood what had happened and the brawler cursed loudly as he slammed his fist into the floor. The action did nothing to alleviate his temper, the sound echoing off the walls, as though it approved of the rise of his temper. "That _fucking _Caraway! He musta locked the door from the outside, so that _he'd_ be the only way to get her outta there! We're stuck smack dab in some stupid family quarrel!"

"That's not the worst of it," Quistis said morosely. She was leaning against the door beside the brawler and looked as though her feet were about ready to slide out from underneath her.

"What could _possibly_ be worst than what's happened now?" Selphie asked, rising from her crouched position. "If we're not in position by the time the Sorceress' float passes under the Gateway, the Sniper team can't proceed with their mission!"

"It's not just about us, it's about Rinoa!" Quistis snapped back in her frustration. "She wanted to help us. I wouldn't put it past her to be on her way to the Presidential Residence as we speak."

"She's not stupid enough to take on the Sorceress on her own," Zell said, though he didn't believe a word he was saying. "I mean, she _knows_ we've got an operation already under way. She wouldn't jeopardize that!"

"We didn't exactly _tell_ her what we were up to," Selphie said. "And she was so fixated on that Odine Bangle. She even went so far as to say the General didn't think things through enough when he decided _not_ to use it. What if she's planning to get close enough to _put it on the Sorceress_?"

"We need to figure out a way out of this room," Quistis announced, pushing herself away from the door. "And quickly, before Rinoa hurts herself and gets Irvine and Squall both killed in the process."

* * *

While she knew where the secret passage leading out of the mansion was, she'd never exactly travelled the sewers before. She wasn't exactly looking forward to it either.

Fortunately for her, there was a panel that was loose on the second stair leading down to the platform just in front of the ladder. She remembered that the General had left the map there in case there was ever a need to escape the house. He'd drilled the procedure into her head a thousand times, so she wasn't surprised when she found what she was looking for. Finally, that man's lectures had come in handy for her.

Scooping up the map and replacing the panel into its rightful position, Rinoa had made her way down the ladder.

Upon reaching the sewers, Rinoa had winkled her nose in disgust. The sewers were totally gross. The walls were dark in the dim light that the dank space was afforded, but she could still make out the graffiti that the various gang members who lived in the city had sprayed on them. The water that passed along the platform she walked along was dirty and gave off a horrible stench that she _knew _was going to be damn near impossible to get out of her hair. The fact that she had to fight the involuntary gag that threatened to expel the contents of her stomach every five minutes made the whole trip unbearable. She wanted to get to the Residence as fast as humanly possible. _Anything_ to get her out of the sewers.

In fact, the only real reason why she wasn't even there yet was because of the stupid monsters that lived down there. Bats and monster creepy shadows kept popping out at her, scaring her needlessly as they tried to capitalize on the fact that she was travelling alone. She would have loved Angelo for this trip, as the dog was handy to have around for both comfort and combat, but because she didn't want SeeD's position to be compromised in their mission, she had begrudgingly told Angelo to stay behind. Besides, if the collie was spotted by the guards (no matter how stealthy and quiet she could be at times), it would immediately give her identity away and she couldn't stand having anything happen to the dog.

If it came to hiding, it would be a lot easier to find some cover and worry about herself if she didn't have to worry about her partner, her best friend.

She shook her head as though to clear it. The General may have been many things, but he knew how to take care of the dog. When she was a little girl, he had kept around a cuddly little Rottweiler that he'd treated like an extension of his family even when he was constantly ignoring his own daughter. Angelo would be treated no different, of that she was positive.

Rinoa was looking forward to wrapping up this mission as quickly as she could. Once it was over and done with, she'd return to the Residence to pick up the dog, and neither one of them would _ever _have to see that man again. Squall had told her they would follow her orders, and she knew he meant it. If she didn't want to stick around then, as a client, SeeD wasn't going to leave her behind in that horrible house with that horrible man.

The raven-haired girl was nowhere near stupid. With every monster encounter, she'd never stuck around and had bolted down the sewers, thankful that she had the map with her. It was stupid to assume she would be able to fend them off by herself. The magic lessons she'd received from Selphie back in the tomb had helped considerably but it wasn't even _close _to enough for her to confidently take them on by herself. A single spell was more than enough to get the monsters out of her path and before she made a break for it.

After what felt like an eternity, she finally found the ladder she was looking for and she used it to climb up to the surface, though she couldn't see through the manhole that was currently blocking in the way. Mentally thanking Selphie again for the millionth time that night, Rinoa concentrated on wind and threw her hand out in front of her. She watched as the aero spell worked its wonders. The lid flew up into the air and landed with a clank somewhere further away.

Rinoa climbed back down the latter and moved away from the hole, waiting for any signs that the noise had been heard. However, all she could hear was the not-so-distant sounds of a crowd from above. Rinoa didn't know what was going on, but she assumed that the Sorceress and Deling were behind the festivities. It was most decidedly the only reason why the operation was being held tonight instead of in a few days time like the original briefing details had said.

When she was absolutely certain that no one was coming to investigate the noise, she climbed back up the latter. Poking her head out from the hole in the ground, she looked around, noticing (to her delight) how the guards were all adequately distracted by the crowd of people just beyond the gate. They weren't going to be a problem.

She climbed out of the manhole and darted towards the group of nearby boxes that had been stashed near the entrance to the sewers. She poked her head out again, checking to see if the coast was clear. The guards were still distracted and Rinoa snorted as she thought that perhaps Deling should invest on some help that actually did their jobs. Unfortunately for her, the only way to get to the Residence was to walk in through the front door. That wasn't going to happen any time soon. The guards, though inattentive as they were, were far from stupid and even if they didn't spot her, the crowds behind them sure would.

Beyond the gate that led into the Presidential Residence were a bunch of people. They looked like they were waiting for something important to happen. Rinoa couldn't figure out what exactly, but then decided that maybe Deling had some stupid speech to give. Rinoa recalled the times she had been forced to watch a televised program that consisted of nearly an hour and a half of the man's babble and it had been so _boring_. She hadn't been able to do anything about it as a child. Back then her father had been her world and just the thought that he might have been on television (even if it was only for a brief second) had been the sole reason for her to endure it. Her mother had always watched with her back then, which had also made the time special.

Rinoa shook herself of the thought. Now was not the time to get all sentimental about a time that had long since come and gone. Instead, she focused her attention to the task at hand. If Deling hadn't given his speech yet, then he must've still been inside of the Residence. And if _he_ was there, then the Sorceress had to be somewhere close by.

And that meant all she had to do was get inside of the Residence without any of the guards nearby seeing her, meet the Sorceress, put the bangle on her and then wait until the others showed up.

Piece of cake, right?

After making absolutely sure that the guards weren't looking in her direction, Rinoa took a look at the boxes. They were actually crates loaded with some kind of cargo and when she pushed against the object, she found that they were super heavy – she couldn't move them at all. Taking another look at the crates, she decided they would hold her weight just fine and began to climb up on top of them, taking note that the path of the crates ended fairly close to the ledge of the building. While she couldn't exactly hide if the guards just so happened to look her way, it was her only means of getting inside of the Residence. She assumed that walking right through the front door would just be plain stupid.

So what if she wasn't a SeeD? She'd managed to find a way to get closer to the Sorceress than any of the others had with whatever stupid operation the General had planned. Even if she hadn't had their kind of training, Rinoa knew that she was just as capable as anyone to join in this mission. The way she had held herself against the monsters in the Tomb was proof enough of that.

She knew this wasn't a game. Wouldn't Quistis want to eat her words when she realized that Rinoa had done what _she_ couldn't, and it brought a smile to her features just imagining it. Bossy Quisty couldn't come up with something this ingenious without resorting to her stupid manual or memorized catalogue of monsters (only a freak would think to know all the kinds of monsters in the _whole_ world). Unlike what everyone seemed to think, Rinoa knew exactly what was at stake here. She _knew _how serious killing a Sorceress meant. If she was a bigger evil than Deling – and, from what she remembered from history classes, she was – then this was the only way to snuff out the fire before it spread too far.

Of course, the resistance fighter had never condoned murder – she probably never would in her lifetime – and while she didn't have a clue what she was going to do once the Odine Bangle was on the Sorceress, she knew she could think on her feet easily. She'd done it plenty of times before with the Forest Owls, and everything had turned out fine in the end.

Each time she pulled herself atop of the crates she was forced to take a ragged breath and wring out her arms. This was way more exercise than she was used to, and she had to take it one crate at a time, all the while stopping and ducking down to check on the guards nearby, making sure they hadn't spotted her. So far, so good. Eventually, she'd managed to reach the very last crate and all that was left was the gap between the crate and the ledge and it was a little bit wider than she had originally believed. By this point, Rinoa was breathing quite heavily, convinced that she wasn't in as good physical shape as she would have liked to believe and opting to rectify that when this was all over.

Counting backwards from three, Rinoa leapt through the air, knowing instantly as she moved through the gap that she wouldn't make the jump. Instinctively, she reached out with both hands, stretching her arms out as far as she could and found her fingers making contact with the steel ledge. Unfortunately, the contact also propelled her forward and before any conscious thought registered, she found herself face planting against the solid structure that was the side of the building.

Biting back a curse, Rinoa held her breath and turned her attention back towards the gate. The guards were still focussed on keeping an eye on the civilians standing in the crowds. She hoped it stayed that way at least for a little while longer. If she got caught in this precarious position there was no way she'd be able to defend herself with magic, and her pinwheel would be equally useless.

After the longest minute of her entire life had finally passed, she pulled herself up onto the ledge with a lot of difficulty. Twice she nearly lost her grip and fell to the ground below her, being forced bite off the gasp that would have inevitably given her away, but in the end she got there, lying flat on her aching stomach as she tried to slow her breathing and still her heartbeat. Her face ached from where it had connected with the wall, and she was relieved to find that nothing had been broken, not even her nose. She wouldn't have been surprised if she looked in the mirror later and saw a bruise, but right now she couldn't have cared less. She had work to do.

Still, she definitely needed to re-evaluate her opinion on certain things. For starters, climbing up along the side of a building was _definitely_ a lot harder than they made it out to be in the movies.

When her heart was no longer hammering inside her ribcage, Rinoa forced herself into a crouching position and, as quickly and carefully as she dared, she moved across the ledge, knowing that there would be more space to move around near the front of the building. All the same, she would have to be careful. There was more of a chance for someone to see her in her current position. Balancing solely on the balls of her feet, she kept her back against the wall, shaded by the shadows that were cast from the ledge above her, hoping it was enough cover to protect her should the guards look over in her direction. So far, so good, but she wasn't taking any chances.

When she reached that open space, she rose to her feet and, still being careful of her actions, Rinoa manoeuvred her way across the ledge until she reached a ladder. She used it to get to higher ground before she climbed up onto an even higher ledge (there wasn't much distance between the top of the ladder and this new ledge) before she cautiously made her way into the residence, bypassing the stage and the podium that Deling was currently standing behind as he addressed the people of the nation's capital. She had run across the platform crouched down so that she wouldn't attract any unwanted attention as she headed for the back doors, absolutely certain that her target was inside.

The doors were white with a black vine-like design that reminded Rinoa of Zell's facial tattoo. The hall that stretched beyond them was nothing extravagant, nor did Rinoa expect it to be, with simple tiles covered in a red carpet that led into the next room, which was where she was headed.

Now this room was much fancier. The walls were dark, and there were transparent veils everywhere that weren't unlike the ones back in that room in Timber's Television Studio. The lights had been turned off, and as a result she could barely see in front of her. In fact, she wouldn't have been able to see anything at all if it weren't for the huge light fixture in the very centre of the room; there was stainless steel glass (like the ones in church) set up in a circle surrounding the fixture. The whole thing looked like an upside down fountain with a smaller ring surrounding the top. Long oval metals kept the ring attached to the base, but, pretty as it was, it wasn't very practical.

But it did illuminate the figure sitting right underneath it. The person's back was to Rinoa and, though she couldn't make out who they were or any distinguishing features, she knew it had to be the Sorceress. The figure looked feminine at the very least.

"Um..." she said, suddenly at a loss for words. The Sorceress had been seen as the scourge of the world after the war between Galbadia and Esthar had ended and even before then. However, the Sorceress Adel – the tyrannical ruler of Esthar – had increased the bad reputation against them by a thousand fold, doing whatever she wanted whenever she wanted because she had the power to level nations. Rinoa wondered if this Sorceress could do the same, and knew that if she'd joined forces with Deling then she _had_ to be up to no good.

All the same, she felt more than just a little humbled in her presence.

"Excuse me..." she hated how hesitant she sounded. Her voice echoed back to her, bouncing off the walls of the hollow room and yet the Sorceress didn't move an inch. "I'm the, um... daughter of the... the Galbadian Army's...uh... General Ibrihim Caraway..."

Her throat was suddenly very dry. She swallowed hard, but it didn't sooth the nervous lump that was beginning to form. "I... well... I thought I'd...um... come pay my respects... you know... 'cuz of my father and all..."

She reached into her pocket and withdrew the Odine Bangle, thankful she'd kept it with her and hadn't forgotten it back at the mansion. She would've been in _big_ trouble if she had. "I, uh… brought you, um… a gift…"

She held it up, despite the Sorceress having yet to acknowledge her presence. The woman didn't make any movement to look at her, and remained silent. Biting her lip as her nerves started to take over, Rinoa willed her feet forward and soon she was approaching the woman, hoping that maybe she would turn around and see the bangle for herself. The plan was amazingly simple. The Sorceress would look at it, think it was pretty, thank Rinoa for her generosity and slip it on her wrist only to lose her powers and become vulnerable. The only thing she would have to concern herself with after that would be to attract the attention of the closest team, get them past security and have them finish her off.

After all, if it was one thing Rinoa had learned from the wealthy girls she'd been forced to mingle with, it was that the girls were vain and very self centred. One look at the jewellery would have the Sorceress drooling for it.

By the time she'd reached the chair the Sorceress was seated in, the woman still had yet to acknowledge her presence. Rinoa frowned in annoyance at the rude behaviour. The least she could do was to turn around and face her adversary. Her patience running thin, Rinoa reached out with her right hand in order to tap the woman on the shoulder to gain her attention that way. But just before she could make that contact, an invisible force suddenly pushed her back, causing her to fall back onto the ground a few feet away from the woman.

Rinoa shook her head, groaning audibly and was about to ask what the hell had just happened when her left arm shook suddenly. She looked down and realized, to her horror, that she was still holding onto the Odine Bangle. The blast must have activated the binding magic inside of it.

The raven-haired resistance fighter tried to drop the object, but found that her fingers were clasped tightly around it and unable to let it go. She shook her hand as hard as she could and even tried to pry the item loose with her free hand, but her fingers just wouldn't let it go. She made a frustrated sound from the back of her throat that sounded more like a terrified whimper to her ears. The metal from the bangle was beginning to grow hot and her panic was starting to take over as her feeble attempts increased in her desperation. She knew what the Odine Bangle was supposed to do to a Sorceress, but that book she'd read so long ago had failed to mention what would happen should a regular and average person be in possession of the item when magic affected it. She had assumed she would be safe and that seemed to have been her folly.

The Sorceress finally moved. Still seated in her throne-like chair, she raised a hand and suddenly Rinoa was dangling high up in the air, her hand still firmly gripping the Odine Bangle as her left arm was stretched high up above her head. She tried even more desperately to pry her fingers from the metal, but she suddenly began to feel very strange, almost like something was zapping away her strength. She was suddenly very tired. Her free arm fell to her side and she slumped her head forward, despite willing herself to stay awake, but she was fighting a losing battle and soon she knew no more.

* * *

Quite certain that the girl was no longer struggling she lowered her hand, hearing the heavy _thud_ that resulted from the intruder's body hitting the ground behind her. Her lip curled. It was rather brave of her to try and confront her, but also rather foolish to do so without a well thought out plan. If she had wanted to try and trap her, she would have to do far better than a nice looking piece of jewellery.

Sorceress Edea leaned forward, her long black hair shortening itself as she willed it. Long hair was such a bother to deal with. As soon as it snapped back into place, the red veil covering her face dissolved in front of her. She opened her eyes – yellow with small pupils that stood stark against skin as white as snow – and thin eyebrows arched as she realized it was almost time to take her post. Deling was already standing before the masses, no doubt giving his address to the people, and soon it would be her turn.

She heard the girl stumble to her feet behind her, but knew there would be no problem. She was under her control, at least for the time being. It would matter very little should the spell cast on her be lifted. She would be as helpless as the masses who awaited her.

The purple head dress she wore atop her head blanketed over her hair, a coiled shell of purple and gold sat on the left side of her head, right above the long flashy earrings that dangled from both ears. Also protruding from the left side, right over her forehead, was a horn, while the right side held a pointed needle with three beads dangling noisily from its tip. She rose to her feet, her long dark purple dress fitting snug and tightly, a feather like collar brushed teasingly against the bare skin of her neck that and broke into a V-cut, exposing the valley of her breasts. The long sleeves stretched the length of her arms, and attached to them were gloves that appeared to elongate her fingers, giving the illusion of talons. The dress even hid her feet from view, so that when she walked it was as though she were simply floating above the ground, her silent footsteps adding to the guise.

As she stood, the long transparent cloths flowing from the golden fan-like structure at her back lashed out as though from a blast of wind that had not graced her with its presence. Her facial features void of expression, she stepped towards the set of double doors that stood in her pathway. She didn't bother with opening them, simply raising her hand in front of her and passing through the wooden objects as though passing through water. The girl in blue followed after her and the Sorceress allowed her magic to last until she had successfully passed through.

She stepped out in front of the cheering crowd. From the looks of it, Deling had finished his speech and was standing at the side, waiting for her to stand before the citizens of Deling City and speak her piece before the evening's event went under way. He seemed confused at the girl's presence, but Edea ignored his inquiring looks as she stood in front of the podium, eyeing the microphone that had been set purposely in front of her. Deling stood straight on her left hand side, while the girl swayed unsteadily on her right. She paid them both little mind as she spoke.

"Lowlifes..." she said. The word dripped from her lips as though she had set eyes on some kind of parasite. "Shameless, filthy wretches. How dare you, how dare you all."

The words were angry and hate filled, though she spoke them as though they were a simple caress. For a very long time she had wanted to say these things and more, but had been forced to bide her time. But that time was now. "How _dare_ you celebrate my ascension with such joy. You stupid people, have you no shame? Hailing the very one you have condemned for generations past. Have you no morals? No scruples?"

Deling looked slightly uncomfortable beside her, but she did not care. It was past the time for that. "What has happened to the _evil_, ruthless Sorceress from your fantasies? The cold-blooded _tyrant_ who slaughtered countless men and destroyed many nations in her thirst for conquest and power? I ask you all, where is she now?

"The answer is as plain as night and day. She now stands before you. Before your very eyes to become your next ruler."

The laugh that she allowed to escape her was mirthless, her audience was rapt with attention. Her words flowed through them easily, and yet no one made an outburst. Everyone was calm because _she_ was calm. Though her words were angry, though she wanted them all to suffer for the damnation that Sorceresses in history had been forced to endure, she knew it would wait, and she knew they would listen to her.

Like the girl standing behind her, they were now all under her control, unable to stand against her, unable to do much of anything unless she willed it. They watched her as helplessly as children looking up to their families. But there were two in the crowd before her who had been unaffected and she had left it that way purposely. They were there for a different means altogether and, for the meantime, she would allow them to think they held the upper hand. She would not feed them to the slaughter just yet, but she would wait for them to do their worst and watch as they failed miserably.

"Edea..." the worm to her left stammered. She grinned ferally and when he was about to protest her choice of words, she raised her left hand and launched it into the dictator's chest. Deling made an indecent squawking sound and she felt his blood pool onto her gloved hands. She felt the skin beneath his ridiculous suit bubble and burn from her touch. He made no more noise, because he was dead before he knew what had happened. It was his reward for getting her as far as he had.

"This," she said as she raised Deling's corpse effortlessly above her head for all to see, "is reality. No one can help you, no one can _save_ you. Just sit back and enjoy the show."

And the crowd below broke out into applause as Edea threw the former dictator's body without much trouble towards the steps, and watched it burn all the more as she sneered in his direction. Anyone else would have seen such a display as vulgar, and yet she stared uncaringly as the people cheered at her actions. Raising her left hand to her face, she licked the blood off her index and middle fingers.

She turned to address her audience and they became rapt in attention once again. She tilted her head, staring at the spot where she sensed them. Their plot would not work, and she could not wait to see their devastated expressions when they failed utterly and hopelessly. "Rest assured, you fools. Your time _will_ come. This," she gestured back to where Deling's body had fallen, "is but the beginning of a new reign of terror, one that will be made by my hand." Her lip curled in disgust as she spoke the next words. "You have all dredged up this fantasy from your wildest dreams, and now I shall let you live a fantasy beyond your imagining."

She turned her back on the crowd and as she proceeded past the steps, barely glancing at the corpse that lay rotting there. She contemplated her next move before grinning once again. Perhaps she should end the festivities with a sacrifice. It would seem a fitting touch.

Her grin widened as she allowed her hands to clasped together briefly before removing the contact and raising her left hand into the air.

* * *

The crowd was alive with noise. The now spellbound citizens of Deling City were thrilled and pumped cheering for the woman who stood at the podium before them. It mattered not that they had just become witnesses of their National leader's demise. Instead they drank in the visage of the Sorceress, even as she turned her backs on them and had vanished from view. Only the girl swaying beside the spot the regal looking woman had vacated remained.

Deling had said his peace and the Sorceress had spoken her mind. All that awaited them now was for the parade to begin and everyone was looking forward to seeing their new leader up close and in person.

The noise that filled the air around everyone was so loud, in fact, that they were unaware of the blast of magic converging over the two statues that hung from the Gateway facing the Presidential Residence. The magic wrapped itself around the creatures like a silk blanket and suddenly, they were no longer stone but living flesh. A green reptilian top half with the back end of a bronzy lion made up this creature, its yellow eyes taking in the scene before it knew of where it would strike and it, like its twin, it leapt from their former posts, charging through the mass of celebrating civilians, their strong hind legs carrying them further and faster than any human could hope to dream of.

It passed the people by, not caring for them or even glancing their way as they moved, before they used the strength of their hind legs to leap up into the air. Their target stood alone before them and it was time to feast.

* * *

She shook her head suddenly, feeling like she was coming back from a dream she couldn't remember having. Her head felt like it was packed with cotton. The last thing she remembered was the white light and being unable to let go of the Odine Bangle. She looked down at her hands to find that the object had mysterious vanished. She must have dropped it somewhere.

After a minute of looking around for the trinket, she realized she was no longer in the room with the Sorceress but she was standing just behind the podium. She was startled to realize it was the _very_ same podium that Deling had been supposed to be making his address from. She couldn't remember coming out here and realized she wouldn't have risked it, especially since it would draw attention to her suspicious activities.

Turning around to survey her surroundings all the more, she screamed when she caught sight of the smouldering corpse by the steps and instantly recognized the man by the suit and dark greying hair. While she'd been out of it, Deling had somehow been killed in the worst possible way. It looked like his skin was melting. It bubbled and oozed, emitting a horrible stench that reminded her of that Gerogero creature. The memory was way too much for her piece of mind but she somehow managed to remain standing, willing herself not to crumple into a useless heap.

Once her initial horror had subsided, the very sight of his dead body left Rinoa with a feeling of bitter-sweet despair. This had been the man she had been working against in order to free Timber. Everyone she had known had told her the only way to liberate Timber and establish their own form of government was to either convince Deling to let them become independent or if he died.

She had always strived for the former option, believing that while they were forced to fight for their beliefs, the end result shouldn't be determined through lethal means. She'd wanted Timber's independence to be a celebration of joy rather than a reminder of the lives that had been its cost.

_Not even the dictator deserved to die like this,_ she thought to herself mournfully, recalling the many instances she had met with him in the past (all of those visits accompanied by her father before she had run away of course). From what she could remember from those encounters, Vinzer Deling had been a shallow and callous man, causing more harm than good during his Presidency, and yet she would never have wished this fate onto him, onto _anyone_ in fact.

Wishing very much that she had just stayed behind at the mansion after all, Rinoa struggled to locate the Sorceress only to realize she was gone. It was like she'd just vanished. She cursed herself, having lost her chance to subdue the Sorceress and, even worse, it looked as though she'd botched the whole mission. The others were going to be _furious_ with her if they lost their chance to assassinate her.

Just as she was trying to figure out what had gone wrong with her carefully constructed plan, she suddenly heard something from above that jarred her from her bleak thoughts. When she looked up to investigate, she screamed loudly once again as she saw the ugliest looking creatures she'd ever seen leaping up into the air. It only took a second but she began to realize, with a sinking gut-wrenching feeling, that those things were coming for her.

* * *

_Four..._


	37. Chapter XXXVI: A Wrench in the Plan

**Edited: **_06/12/10_

* * *

**Chapter XXXVI:  
A Wrench in the Plan**

* * *

Squall could not believe this was happening.

Apparently it hadn't been bad enough that they were forced to wait the length of time before the parade began, but thirty minutes into the wait, the President himself had emerged from his residence and presided atop the balcony behind his podium. He had then proceeded to bore them all to death with a long winded speech, declaring Galbadia the superior nation of the world and how it was their job to show the rest of the world how to right themselves as a response. The man, who Squall could swear was in love with the sound of his own voice, couldn't seem to stop droning on and on about how the peace talks would benefit the nation as a whole and how much more Galbadia would prosper once they went underway.

Stifling a yawn, the SeeD craned his neck to the side more as something to do rather than simply stand there. He had heard that the President-turned-Dictator was malevolent towards others and merciless in his torture, but having to endure the man's constant political prattle was agonizingly painful. It was a small wonder that the Timberians wanted him out of office and out of their hair for good, and he almost felt sorry for the citizens in the capital who were, most likely, forced to put up with the double-edged language constantly.

Irvine had apparently found some form of amusement during the dialogue. About two minutes into the speech, the sharpshooter leaned his head forward in a fashion that insinuated that he had fallen asleep on his feet, only to fake a snorting noise as though he had just snapped awake. After the third time, Squall had taken it upon himself to nudge the man before offering him a glare that voiced his disapproval. This mission was supposed to be covert and being identified because Irvine thought it was funny to act as though the President was boring him to sleep would only serve in getting them noticed faster. The less potential witnesses that knew about them, the better it was in the long run for them.

However, just when Squall didn't think the torture would end in the near future, the middle-aged Dictator finally stepped out of the way and signalled for the audience to applaud. Squall had almost joined in, if only to thank the man for finally shutting up but he managed to restrain the urge, if only barely. Seconds later, the President was joined by the woman he had introduced as Sorceress Edea. She had stepped forward, approaching the podium and eyeing the microphone before choosing to speak, her dark coloured gown making her look far paler than what was normal.

Things started to get interesting however when a familiar figure appeared behind the Sorceress swaying from side to side and Squall was forced to bite his lip to prevent himself from cursing out loud. Beside him, Irvine had been equally surprised and apparently Squall's silence had somehow made the sharpshooter believe he hadn't even noticed the girl (and how the hell couldn't he when her presence was like some arrow hanging overhead?) because he had kept whispering and pointing in her direction until finally the SeeD managed to hiss out a hasty 'I know' to get him to shut up.

The Sorceress' speech hadn't been near as long winded as the President's, and it had been straight to the point. Her condemnation of the human race for their actions towards past Sorceresses was pretty much the highlight and she had not held back even the slightest bit. Her words had been most unexpected of a woman who was supposed to be the ambassador to one of the world's biggest nations, but what surprised the SeeD even more was the response of her audience, or lack thereof.

Actually, it appeared as though they were cheering her on and somehow he had the impression that they would have done so even if she'd suggested they all commit suicide together. Even Deling's death hadn't garnered the response he had expected. Granted, the man wasn't popular among the western world but there should have been an outcry towards his public slaughtering.

Whatever the reason, the citizen's actions only justified what the SeeD had suspected since the beginning of her speech. The Sorceress had cast a spell upon everyone in the audience before her speech. The same held true for Rinoa, who would have already been in a panic by now at the sight of the dead body were she of her right mind.

Even as he drew up this conclusion, his frown deepened as he turned the idea over and over in his head. If the masses surrounding them from all sides had been put under the Sorceress' control, then why had he and Irvine remained unaffected? There was nothing special about the pair to warrant them being immune to the effects of the magic spell that had been cast, and Squall wouldn't have been naïve enough to believe that as a plausible excuse anyway. His next thought rested against the Guardian Forces, but as Irvine never junctioned with one, that couldn't have been the answer. It left him with only one other option, that the Sorceress had left them unaffected by her magic on purpose.

But how could that be possible? They had been careful in the way they had blended into their surroundings, careful of whom they spoke to and the keep themselves from appearing conspicuous. Was there someone in on the operation from the inside that could have leaked this information to the Sorceress? If not, then how else could they have been compromised? Would he be forced to play his role sooner than anticipated? Would they have to fight through the throngs of citizens that cut them off on all sides?

After a brief three minutes on stage, the Sorceress turned her back on them all, leaving only Rinoa to stand alone in front of them. Just when he thought that things couldn't get any weirder, he'd heard a _thump_ that had sounded more like a miniature explosion coming from behind them. He turned around to find out what the cause was and had damn near swallowed his tongue when he saw two creatures that had appeared from seemingly nowhere bounding forward and towards them. The crowd didn't seem to notice, but both Squad leader and Sharpshooter had ducked in order to avoid being run over. They hadn't needed to however, because when they were just a few feet away they'd leapt up into the air and right onto the stage.

Right where Rinoa was.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Irvine commented as he shook the Squad leader. "She's in real trouble now. Big-time trouble! We gotta go help her out."

"We can't..." Squall trailed off.

Irvine fixed him with a livid stare. "Dammit, who cares about tha damned mission? She could get _killed_!"

"The gate hasn't opened yet," Squall said. "If we go anywhere near it, we'll be stopped by the guards and _then_ what'll happen to her?"

"So what d'we do?" Irvine asked. He sounded as frustrated as the SeeD felt.

"We wait," Squall said through an exasperated sigh, and as much as he didn't like the idea, he knew it was their only bet. "And hope that Rinoa can take care of herself."

* * *

"Sounds like _some_ kind of party," he said in all semi-seriousness as he watched the Sorceress descend the spiralling stair case. He grinned ferally as she looked in his direction. "Anybody I know?"

"We should get moving," Edea said, easily avoiding his question as she reached the final step.

He arched an eyebrow in response, but nodded all the same, noting how Deling was inconspicuous in his absence. Not that he cared all too much as he had no patience for the politician. All the same, it made him curious and, when he certain from his visual sweep that the aging goat wasn't simply hiding, he found that he would have to speak up. "What about the dictator?"

"His usefulness has come to an end, thus he is currently enjoying a permanent rest," Edea answered with a verbal shrug. She held her head high without craning her neck. He easily towered over her small frame. "It will just be the two of us."

"Never did like him anyway," he said as he ran a gloved hand through his cropped hair. He felt the need to express this point.

It garnered a smirk from the Sorceress, almost as though she silently agreed with him. He couldn't understand how it was she'd managed to put up with him for so long but forced the thoughts from his mind. The smirk disappeared almost as quickly as it had surfaced and soon she had passed the final step before proceeding to leave the Residence. Without missing a beat, he followed after her precisely half a step behind. It was far enough away that she had her own space, but close enough for him to react should a threat jump in her way.

After all, it was his job to protect her.

She glanced at him over her shoulder in an almost apprising way before redirecting her gaze in front of her. Then, almost as though it were after a moment to weigh the options of her actions, she spoke to him. "There are people amongst the crowds ahead," she said like it had only just come to mind. He knew that it wasn't the case. The Sorceress was very observant, especially when it came to the smaller details.

He was baffled at what she was saying but as she continued, it suddenly made sense to him. "And there are possibly even more of them, scattered about like rodents. Whatever the number, they all mean to interfere with the parade in some manner. If at some point they choose to make their move, you will be expected to act accordingly."

"Of course." The man fell into a crouched stance, kneeling before her respectfully as he kept his head bowed lowly. He already knew what was to be expected of him. He had already known when he'd decided to take up the post.

"Rise," the Sorceress spoke. He detected movement from above and naturally believed that she had made a gesture with her hand. He did as told and he could feel her grinning from ahead of him as she said, "we have little time to waste."

* * *

They had spent far too much time in that room for her comfort.

Upon realizing just how bad the situation had become, everyone had split up, hoping to find some way out of the room. Selphie had looked through the General's stash of books in the hope that there was some kind of secret panel they had to pull, while Zell had tried to break the windows – as a result he nearly broke his hand. Quistis had searched around the General's desk, hoping to find a key that would unlock the door. In the end, no one had found anything.

It was Rinoa's partner in crime who'd managed to get them out of there with their sanity intact. Angelo had been pawing, scratching and whining at the elaborately placed statue that stood right next to a shelf of wine classes which was next to the door. Selphie had been shushing the animal relentlessly before Quistis thought that maybe the dog had been onto something after all.

The statue was of a woman – they couldn't tell much else since she was made of a pale-green marble, but Quistis guessed that she was Galbadian (the former instructor had said something about the shape of her eyes being able to tell them that much). The statue-woman had her hands held out, almost like she was holding some kind of object, and there was a long clean crack on her right hand side that suspiciously looked like it opened up. Also hanging just over the General's desk and right beside one of the window's Zell tried to break was a picture of a woman holding onto a wine glass. It looked fancy and really expensive, something that should've been donated to an art gallery.

Being the knowledgeable one when it came to riddles (and, from what it seemed like so far, just about everything else), Quistis had put two and two together – apparently they were supposed to put one of the wine-glasses into the statue's hand, and trigger some kind of effect to happen. That _effect_ turned out to be a secret passage that led into the sewers.

They hadn't had long enough to get excited about it though. By the time they'd figured all of this out, the lights had shifted in down town proper. From the looks of it, the festivities were beginning.

Leaving Angelo behind as she would only get in the way, Selphie, Quistis and Zell had gone through the door the statue had left behind, down the stairs and descended the ladder that had been set up. It had taken them a few minutes, but when they reached the sewers, Selphie took a look around. It was a little cleaner than she had expected them to be, but there was graffiti on the walls, and the dirty water gave the air around them a really funny smell. There were gates all over the place, all of them kinda fancy looking to be in a sewer, but they all had the same three symbols near the ceiling that looked suspiciously like the Galbadian symbol.

_Talk about patriotism..._ Selphie mused to herself wonderingly.

"So where to now?" Zell asked. Quistis frowned, and Selphie knew that the sight was not a good sign.

"Just wandering the sewers without knowing where to go would be pointless. The sewers could lead us anywhere in this damned city," Quistis said as she took in their surroundings with disgust creasing her features. "It'd waste too much time."

"Wait... didn't Caraway say something about the room in the Gateway leading to the sewers?" Selphie asked.

"Yeah, I think he said something about maintenance workers using that place to get down there..." Zell agreed.

"Well, if there are machines over there that they'd have to work on, then wouldn't they technically control where the water went? Maybe it flows away from that spot."

"So we just move in the opposite direction of the water flow?" Quistis asked. Selphie nodded, but Quistis frowned. "And what if we're wrong?"

"Well, what else do we have to work with?" Zell asked with a shrug. "We can't just wander around here without knowing where we're going. For all we know we could end up breaking into some kind of police station or something."

"I saw we follow this lead," Selphie said, raising her hand. "All in favour?"

Quistis was the only one standing without raising her hand. Selphie lowered hers and clapped enthusiastically. "Then it's settled."

Rolling her eyes, Quistis threw her hands up into the air. "Alright, I concede. It's worth looking into and we don't have very much time left as it is."

* * *

By the time whatever preparations were going on behind the gate were completed, both he and Irvine had become restless in their wait. The latter was shifting his weight from foot to foot and making irritated noises from the back of his throat that were quite distracting. Struggling to ignore him and his own impatience, Squall kept his gaze fixed on the clock over head of the podium. According to it, the time was 1900 now. One more hour before the plan went into action, but who knew how much time Rinoa had left. The strange creatures had already rushed into the building past the balcony and from the looks of it they were hot pursuit of something. Squall was sure he knew of whom. It gave him some temporary relief to know that at least Rinoa was putting up a fight, but he didn't know how long she would be able to hold out. At least the spell that had been cast over her had been lifted, it gave her the chance to defend herself.

And it bought them some time, though he tried not to question whether or not it would be enough.

Five minutes later, he felt Irvine nudge him in the shoulder, directing his attention from the clock to the front gate. There was a group of people – male and female – dressed in elaborately fashioned costumes (no doubt to emulate what the Sorceress was wearing) and they were moving in a strange rhythm that Squall assumed was supposed to be dancing. However, it looked more like they were bounding from foot to foot, twisting and jumping all in unison, as though they were primitive people living in camps paying tribute to some overzealous god. Squall supposed that, in a sense they were since a Sorceress was the closest thing to being a god as anything in this world.

The sight was almost hypnotic to watch and drew the eyes of many onlookers. Squall himself found that it was easy to simply lose himself in the sight but blinked forcible before turning away from the spectacle, chastising himself for becoming distracted. And then the gate finally opened.

Through each metal fence emerged a massive looking float. Its appearance belied its true size, with were blue and yellow beam-like decorations strewn across the front of the car, and torches affixed to all four corners. In the very centre of it all sat the Sorceress on a throne, seemingly taking in all the people who stood on the streets surrounding her as she passed them by. A wall had been erected behind her and as the car travelled down the street, more dancers followed.

The float moved at the same speed as the dancers. They were taking their time making their way towards the Gateway. It was probably because they wanted the citizens to have ample amount of time to take in the dancers and the Sorceress. Either way, to an annoyed and bored child or teenager (who wasn't bewitched by the Sorceress' spell of course), it would have simply added to the torture of anticipation.

Fortunately for them, the pair was only there to get a job done.

"We gotta move!" Irvine was saying, and both he and Squall managed to manoeuvre their way through the crowd, which was too fixated on their new ruler to be bothered with their presence. People were moving in closer to get a better look at the Sorceress, which allowed the pair enough room to make their way to the gate quickly.

A familiar flash of silver caught Squall's attention and he stopped momentarily, wondering where it had come from as the Sharpshooter ran on ahead. Ignoring the other youth altogether, his gaze was drawn once more to the float and he purposely avoided looking towards the dancers, lest he become distracted once more. Instead, he focused on searching for the sight that had drawn his attention in the first place. Something inside was telling him it would be imperative for the mission to find out what it was and he learned a long time ago that it was important to trust his gut instincts.

The float was far taller than most of the people standing in front of him, standing amongst the crowd and looking entirely like it was being held aloft by water. Atop the float, Squall was able to make out the Sorceress sitting almost leisurely at her throne where a blue circular ring floating overhead seemingly unsuspended overhead. From the brief moment he saw her, she appeared completely uninterested by the festivities and her lip was curled, betraying her distaste. But it was the figure that stood to her right that Squall became focused on, who looked right at home and even seemed to be basking in the attention, his expression settled on satisfaction, almost elation.

Squall gasped openly, blinking and telling himself that he was imagining things, but he wasn't. A dark gloved hand ran through cropped blonde bristles almost without a second thought. The deep silver trench coat flapped gently, carried lightly by the gentle night breeze that buffeted it, the colour clear against the moonlight above. His right hand, trained at his side, gripped the handle of an ornate and complex weapon not entirely unlike his own, the bladed point pressed against the floor beneath his feet.

As the blonde man turned in his direction to look into the crowd, Squall crouched down behind the people in his path, making sure that he couldn't be seen, though he himself had seen enough. If the man's appearance wasn't enough to justify his identity, then the ugly scar that lined the man's face between his eyes was a dead give-away. A scar that was the mirror image of the one carved into his own face.

"Squall? What're ya doin'?" Irvine called out from ahead.

The sharpshooter's voice was drowned out over the crowd, though with his junctions he had no problem hearing him. Pressing his lips together to form a thin line, Squall signalled for Irvine keep his voice down as he ducked down even further, wondering for a moment if the man on the float had heard him as well. Irvine seemed not to get the hint however, and persisted all the same. "Rinoa's gonna die if we don't get ta her in time!"

From his vantage point, the Squad leader gave the float one last fleeting look before he forced himself to look away and turn his attention back to the task at hand. He ran forward to catch up with Irvine and ignored the berating look he received for the delay. Still, Squall couldn't help but feel that things had suddenly just become more complicated than he could have imagined.

Regardless of the lapse, the pair managed to push their way to the front of the crowd without much complaint from the masses, who seemed enthralled by the Sorceress' presence. Squall half-wondered if that was also her doing, but forced the pessimistic thoughts from his head and focused on their objective. He could worry and mull over the details when they had breathing time.

Squall had anticipated some form of interception between the citizens that surrounded them or the guards who stood watch for anything out of the ordinary, but luck seemed to be on their side for the moment. The guards had stepped forward and away from the gate, seemingly mesmerized by the parade float and the dancers that surrounded it. Squall and Irvine took their chances and ran full out towards the wall. It was almost too easy to duck past the security and into the front yard of the Presidential Residence.

There were guards posted at the front door leading into the Residence. Their backs were to them as they talked about Hyne knew what, completely distracted and not anticipating their presence. It would have been easy to subdue the guards, but they chose to bypass them instead, knowing that they couldn't afford to risk causing a commotion. So instead, they ran around the corner and found themselves behind the building.

Behind the Residence, there were crates and boxes that had been piled up along near the back of the building, more than likely done by some delivery person who couldn't have been bothered to stack them properly. Without hesitation, Squall pulled himself up onto the bottom most box, noting as he did that it was sturdy enough to support his weight. After climbing the next box up, he glanced over his shoulder and spotted that Irvine had followed after him. As they continued to climb, Squall also took notice an abandoned manhole covering and figured that Rinoa had managed to navigate the sewers in order to get there. It also told him that Rinoa had also decided to enter the building through this route.

Before he knew it, they were at the top box and there was a gap between where they stood and the ledge. Even quicker than that was the discovery that there wasn't enough running space in order to jump, not when both the sharpshooter and the Squad leader was standing on the very topmost box. He managed to stop Irvine before he could think to try before gesturing for him to grab him by the shoulder.

As soon as Irvine had done as told, Squall concentrated and unleashed his spell and suddenly they were lifted from the box as white wings sprouted along his back. Irvine's grip tightened almost painfully as he manoeuvred their way across the gap and in almost no time, they were on the ledge along the Residence and the wings had dispersed. Along the ledge was a ladder that the pair used to climb up the side of the building before they were forced to climb up onto a higher ledge. By the end of the climb, Irvine was panting lightly while Squall, thanks to his junctions, was fine.

From there, they both moved forward towards the set of double doors leading into the second floor of the Residence, past the podium and Deling's smouldering corpse, up the stairs and inside. Once past the threshold, Irvine and Squall ran flat out down the hallway, worries and thoughts of being discovered by security far from their minds as they raced towards their goal, hoping they weren't too late. The SeeD's dread intensified when he took notice of the doors in front of him, lying in a clumsy heap against the threshold leading into the next room. From the looks of it, they had been blown right off their hinges.

Upon entering the room that foreboding feeling grew all the more at the sight. It was a complete mess, a sure sign of a struggle. The light fixture above their heads was hanging precariously off the ceiling, almost like it would fall any given second. The drapes that looked to have been hanging from the ceiling had been torn and were now clinging onto their hangings lopsidedly, as though someone had attempted to climb them but the weight had been too much.

It seemed like something Rinoa might have done in an attempt to get out of range of the monsters, but it surprised him all the same. He had witnessed Rinoa fight against monsters before, he knew she was capable of holding her own, if only for a little while. Of course the initial sight of the monsters would scare anyone out of their mind (Squall wasn't afraid to admit that he had been unnerved when he'd first laid eyes on them), but he would have thought she'd have been able to recover and defend herself accordingly where anyone else would have continued to panic.

What little furniture that had lined the room had been knocked askew during the struggle, but there was no sign whatsoever of the creatures who had been at least partially responsible for the disarray. However, they were able to find Rinoa quickly enough. She lay on the opposite side of the room curled up on her side on the floor in front of another set of double doors that led further into the Residence. Judging by how they remained closed, it wasn't hard to ascertain that they had been locked from the outside. Again he was surprised that she hadn't simply used one of the spells that Selphie had taught her to simply knock them aside, though if she had panicked then the thought surely would not have crossed her mind.

But it was alarming how eerily still she was. Her back was facing their direction and she didn't even budge at the sound of their footfalls, sounds they had not even attempted to disguise in their urgency to reach her. The blood that pooled along her side did nothing to alleviate his concerns and he acted out faster than Irvine could stop him, calling out her name as he crossed the gap of the room to reach her prone form.

Behind him, the sharpshooter called out a warning that went completely ignored as Squall crouched down beside her, pressing his index and middle finger against her neck to check her pulse. He breathed a sigh he hadn't realized he'd been holding as he realized it was strong. Despite how it had looked originally, she was still alive.

"Geez, and here I reckoned you SeeDs were _smart_," Irvine drawled in sarcasm as he moved further into the room, seemingly reassured that it was safe to enter. "Ya never en'er a room before it gets cleared. It just ain't done like that."

Squall turned an exasperated look towards the sharpshooter with every intention of telling him where to shove his protocol bullshit, but the words died in his throat as his gaze was directed upward as something above caught his attention.

When they had been charging down the street, the SeeD had been too preoccupied with getting out of their path than he'd been with taking in their appearance and had thus not gotten a good enough look at them. Now, all he could do was gape openly as he took in the sight of one of them hanging precariously atop the light fixture above the sharpshooter.

Bronzy, fur lined hind paws gripped at the fixture languidly as reptilian eyes drew into slits, taking in its prey. A long tail that mirrored the lion-like bottom of the monster swished wildly like a snake striking its dinner. Lizard like claws, long and slender like a pianists with talon like nails, dug into its purchase as it prepared to leap forward. Just staring at this creature seemed like the SeeD was watching the result of some morbidly curious scientist who'd had far too much time on his hands and had thus decided to see the concluding synthesis of meshing two creatures who were as different as night and day together as one. The claws seemed to be more for racking and climbing buildings, though he doubted they wouldn't prove effective in rending flesh and tearing limbs. A forked tongue poked out from between its sharp toothed maw as though inspecting the air. Its eyes flicked away from the sharpshooter and onto the SeeD, as though revealing in confidence what it intended to do.

Squall cursed himself for being so unobservant in his haste to reach Rinoa, and shouted a warning to Irvine that seemed to be too late as the monster suddenly pounced. Still, upon looking above him, Irvine heeded the warning and dodged to the left just as the monster pounced, just as the fixture that had leaned precariously above his head came loose from its supports and fell onto the floor with a horrible _crash_ that was almost shattering amongst the large room, the loud sound echoing back at its occupants with such a force that it was overwhelming.

The monster landed gracefully onto all four of its miss-matched feet, circling like a predator, its tail still lashing out furiously as it eyed the downed sharpshooter like an entrée. Squall didn't miss that the creature had landed right in the path they'd just entered, seemingly the only means of escape.

Either this was all one huge coincidence, or they'd just fallen into an elaborately set trap.

"Nice one," Irvine drawled through his teeth as he began to climb back onto his feet, though this time there was no trace of sarcasm in the words.

The strange creature was staring fixedly at the sharpshooter, its large bronzy tail swinging back and forth like a giant cat's. The sharpshooter withdrew from one of the folds of his trench coat his rifle, and barely had enough time to cock it before the creature pounced forward.

Squall covered him from his crouching position over Rinoa's body, throwing out both hands as he summoned the first spell that came to mind. He watched as the blasts of ice intercepted the monster, forcing it back into one of the busted down doors that had been left to lie against the adjacent wall.

A low growl from behind redirected the SeeD's attention away from the sharpshooter, and as he turned he saw the second of the creatures, climbing up along the walls behind the SeeD. The sight proved his earlier estimate of the monster's climbing capacity true, though truth to tell he was more concerned with the knowledge that the second creature had managed to sneak up on him much like its twin had done to Irvine.

Squall barely had enough time to turn around before the monster charged him. As a result, Squall was knocked away from Rinoa's prone form and landed roughly onto his back. He blinked away the stars that momentarily blinded him before managing to roll out of the way of a massive clawed paw, which left gash marks into the floor where he'd been laying moments prior.

Scrambling, he managed pull himself up onto his feet and fell into a crouch, spying Irvine out of the corner of his eye as the sharpshooter struggled to hold the monster at bay with his fire breathing ammunition. The monster simply dodged the blasts like they were nothing as deftly as a cat's movements. He had no time to back the other youth up however, because he was forced to turn his attention to his own attacker and evade another swipe. It was fortunate that he was able to stay on his feet this time.

Without missing a beat, Squall quickly withdrew the gunblade from its holster before charging forward, dragging the tip of the revolver along the ground scratching the linoleum before he slashed up. Unfortunately, the attack missed as the monster moved too quickly and retaliated with another swipe of its claws. Raising the gunblade up to defend against it, Squall twisted the weapon around and slashed down, missing once more. He managed to dodge a third swipe, but was unfortunately unable to evade as the monster suddenly spun around and, using its tail, landed a blow with enough force to knock Squall down onto his back, the force of the attack propelling him away a good couple of feet.

The Squad leader was once again forced to shake himself of the attack before climbing back up onto his feet. He tried to concentrate on a spell but was forced to abort it as the monster charged forward, just as quickly as it had been all along. Squall was barely able to roll back and away, avoiding its tail as it slammed into the ground and blew chunks of the linoleum up into the air before they crashed back down with a clatter. He pulled himself up onto his feet for a tiringly forth time and scowled before he charged forward, fully intending to gain the upper hand.

But then the monster rose up onto its hind legs, causing Squall to abort his charge in apprehension. This was one thing the monster hadn't done as of yet. It leaned forward before Squall could decide what to do and opened its maw as though about to roar. But just as the action completed itself and Squall was preparing to dodge out of the line of fire of whatever attack it had planned, the world started to sway and it forced the SeeD off balance, causing him to slam awkwardly on his shoulder.

Forcing himself up was difficult, but it was an even bigger challenge to keep his balance as he moved forward. The act was almost impossible and he found himself stumbling around like some kind of clumsy drunkard after a drinking binge.

After a minute of looking like a huge idiot, Squall found himself colliding with something that was not entirely solid and yet it was resistant enough that he couldn't just pass through it. Taking a glance behind, he realized it was Irvine, who appeared to have been forced into a similar state as him. Both were standing back to back of one another, with nowhere else to go, nowhere to retreat to in order to dispel whatever it was that was happening to them.

But then the feeling of off-balance dissipated almost as suddenly as it had happened and the result caused his legs to buckle beneath his weight, forcing them to fall out from under them. Irvine was in the same condition and the pair nearly fell atop each other in a clumsy heap.

"That… wasn't pleasant…" Irvine groaned while pulling himself to his feet.

Squall wondered if Irvine had a penchant for stating the obvious at the most inopportune time, but shook the thought away for another time. Nevertheless, he didn't comment as he hoisted himself to his feet, but was forced to knock Irvine back down when one of the hybrid creatures – the one Squall had been fighting – lunged at them. It leapt right over their heads and landed gracefully as its twin pounced.

Squall and Irvine dodged in opposite directions at this point, Irvine jumping and Squall rolling in an attempt to avoid the attack. The monster landed smack dab in the middle, right where they'd been originally. But just as Squall pulled himself back up, he heard Irvine call out another warning. Before he knew it, he was on the ground again, but this time he was pinned by the monster. He barely managed to pull his arms out from underneath the creature to keep it from literally tearing his head from his shoulders.

Two loud gunshots sounded, and instantly the weight that had been on him was removed. Squall looked over to see the creature barrelling towards the sharpshooter. The SeeD stopped the assault by throwing out another blizzard spell, hitting the monster dead on and giving Irvine enough time to dodge. The monster didn't have enough time to shift its momentum and would have overshot the sharpshooter if the Galbadian native hadn't moved at all.

He watched as both creatures rose up onto their hind legs and the same distortion overcame him, almost causing him to lose his balance once more. Still, he forced himself to stand steady this time and refused to let himself succumb to the strange tilting.

Gunshots that sounded distant to him rang through the air and the distortion stopped, causing the SeeD to collapse despite his earlier tenacity. He looked up from his seemingly permanent spot on the floor to see Irvine causing a distraction, opening fire at the closest of the creatures and causing it to break formation. It chased after him almost like the sharpshooter was waving a raw steak in its face.

Squall rose to his feet and managed to steady his balance, but despite the situation he knew he had it under control. The first time that strange sensation had caught him off guard, but this time he'd managed to notice something about the strange phenomenon. When the creatures opened their mouths, they must have created a wave of pressure that wasn't unlike a sonic distortion device.

But on top of that, both creatures had to be synchronized and initiate the attack at _exactly_ the same moment. If even one of them got distracted, then the sensation would end regardless of the enemy's state.

_So bring one of them down, and they can't use it again..._ Squall mused mentally. Grabbing his gunblade – which had clattered to the floor upon being released from that strange attack – he charged forward, intent on not allowing the monster the opportunity to recover. He noticed as he charged that the lone monster left – the one that Irvine had left behind – was also charging towards him. If he didn't slow his momentum, they would crash into each other and Squall was fairly confident that, despite his junctions, he would not be the one walking away from the collision, he dropped onto the ground, the sleek floor propelling him forward and beneath the creature as it continued its charge. Both ended up on opposite ends of the room.

Squall was the first to recover and, weapon still in hand, he raced forward and slashed this time finding purchase as the blade bit into the monster's flesh. It roared in a combination of pain and fury and Squall slashed again, refusing to allow it any chance to recover. The blade bit and bit and bit, tearing into the skin before digging the gunblade deeper into the monster and pulling the trigger, causing the blade to vibrate again and again and cause more and more damage.

He was forced to roll out of the line of fire of a swipe from its reptile-like paw, causing a gap of space between them. Raising the blade up over his head, he brought it down forcefully, as though pulling an extremely heavy lever down. By all rights, his attack should not have hit with the distance that was between the two, but the blade itself seemed to extend as a light formed around it. The blast of energy that had formed ripped right through the front of the monster and blood flew from the force of the blow. The monster's head slid forward, having become separate from the rest of its body, and hit the floor with a wet _squelch_. The rest of its body lay limp, but the colour seemed to fade as the seconds passed. It was almost as though it were turning into stone.

Before Squall could even begin to fathom the meaning behind its action, he felt a sudden rush of heat spring forth from his right. Dodging forward, he looked back and saw a blast of flame that seemed to melt everything in its past run a line straight through the room, like a car from a cartoon that lit the gravel on fire from the speed in which it had been propelled. Landing into a hastily executed crouch, the SeeD sprung forward, the gunblade gripped tightly in both hands as he began his charge.

Surprisingly enough the monster chose not to move let alone dodge the attack, but instead it opened its mouth before the beginnings of another fireball began to form. His momentum was too fast for him to properly stop the charge and he could only dodge as the barrel of fire flew past him, licking at the air like a flame eater who spat fire. The blast dissipated in midair, hitting nothing but distorting the air around them with a haste of heat and smoke.

The clumsy dive that had propelled him out of harm's way was responsible for his lack of balance and thus caused him to trip over his feet and hit the ground hard on his stomach. Thankfully, the majority of the flames had passed him by at this point, though he could still feel the heat they gave off against the soles of his boots before the fire breathing monster finally closed its maw. This at least explained why the flame shot from Irvine's weapon hadn't done much in the way of harming it. It probably absorbed the element much like fire fed the bombs in the fire cavern.

The silence that fell after the attack was short lived as Irvine opened fire once again, pelting the monster with blasts from his rifle. There were no flame shots this time, the sharpshooter seemed to have learned his lesson, but the rounds were enough to deter the creature from pursuing the SeeD and thus Irvine was now the sole target of the monster's concentration.

Pulling himself back up into a sitting position, Squall suddenly realized that something was very wrong when he couldn't bend his knees. Alarmed that the fall had done some serious damage, he looked down in preparation of inspecting the cause of the problem. His clothes were absolutely fine, but that was when he noticed a strange cold sensation running up his ankles and spreading along his legs. It felt as though ice water had been injected into his veins and were slowly making their way up his body. It was most uncomfortable and Squall tried shaking his legs to get the feeling to go away. Instead, it seemed to spread it faster. Another thing he realized was the places the cold sensation had passed were suddenly unfeeling and stiff, as though they had fallen asleep.

Looking through the holes caused by the battles he'd participated in within the last week was enough to explain what was happening to him. The skin that peaked forth should have been his natural skin tone, but instead it was turning a chalky grey that mirrored that of the monster he had just killed. Instantly his breathing picked up and he forced himself to fight the panic, knowing it would only make things worse and speed up the process. Having never been a victim of this effect, he shouldn't have known what to expect, but his classes back at the Garden were enough for him to realize what was happening. In his mind's eye, he was back in class, listening as one of his previous instructors droned on and on about status effects, drilling into their minds that some attacks, while lethal on their own, possessed additional effects that could spell disaster to their prey.

His mind easily linked the explanation to the ball of fire he'd very narrowly managed to dodge. It didn't matter that he hadn't been charbroiled by the attack, because the aftereffects were causing him to turn to stone.

Struggling against the panic, the SeeD stuffed his hands into the items pack on his hip and searched amongst the potions and antidotes for the desired item that would stop this from happening. Shuddering as the cold sensation rose higher and knowing what would happen should it reach his chest, he forced his mind into a blank slate as he searched and searched before growing frustrated and ripping the back from his belt. Holding the bottom with both hands, he upended all the contents along the ground, watching them spill out onto the floor in a heap in front of him. Tossing the bag aside, he brushed all the other items away, his eyes searching amongst the coloured bottles in search of the one he desired most, cursing under his breath as the time passed.

Just as the sensation had reached his thighs and rendered his knees immovable, Squall procured the small syringe he had been looking for before falling onto his back. Removing the plastic stopper that prevented the object from becoming contaminated with his teeth, Squall raised his right hand in preparation of stabbing the needle into his flesh when he was momentarily distracted by a grunt of pain nearby. The voice was far too deep to belong to Rinoa and, glancing over momentarily, he spotted Irvine fall roughly onto his side, barely managing to retrain his grip on his rifle. The monster returned its clawed had that it had used to trip the sharpshooter up back onto the ground before it propelled itself towards the downed youth.

Thinking quickly, Squall threw out another spell, the blast of ice hitting the monster full in its face and stopping its charge before he turned his attention back to the task at hand. The cold sensation rose up even higher and Squall suddenly realized he'd acted too late. Everything from the waist had been reduced to stone.

Raising his voice in a frustrated curse, the SeeD pressed the side of the needle between his teeth and held it in place before wrestling with his jacket, desperate to liberate one of his arms. He heard more than saw Irvine fend the monster off as he wrapped the now empty sleeve around his arm just above the elbow, drawing it tight. Assured that it was enough, Squall practically spat the needle out into his free hand and injected it into the soft spot between his elbow and his arm, wincing as he did. Pressing down the syringe, he felt the liquid enter his bloodstream as it seemed under his skin, an immense discomfort traveling down his arm that almost made it go numb.

The effects were not instantaneous. Squall knew it would take a few seconds for the soft medicine to start working its way down into the infected half of his body and he found himself hoping that he wasn't too late. Throwing the needle away, he ignored the light _clink _it made as it hit the floor and rolled out of sight and threw his arm out in the hopes of buying Irvine some time. The Blizzara spell had more or an affect than the previous flame shots that Irvine had thrown at it. The blast of cold air was enough to deter the monster, and the icicle that shot out from underneath it encased it inside, allowing Irvine to back away and create a larger distance between them. The frigid paramagic dispersed just as quickly as it had formed and the monster shivered from the cold as Irvine opened fire with his rifle.

At this point, Squall forced a sigh of relief to escape him and rested his head against the floor beneath him. The soft was finally beginning to take effect as it forced the petrification process to recede. It would take even longer for him to regain feeling in the parts that had been affected, but at least he hadn't been too late. Raising his arms he threw out more spells to stall the monster and keep it from getting too close to the sharpshooter, watching as the Thundara and Blizzara danced from his fingertips and forced the monster back even more.

"Lazy no good bum," Squall heard Irvine jeer and it took a moment to register that the sharpshooter was talking to him. "Layin' down on tha job while I do all tha hard work. Yer a real peace a work!"

"Petrified," Squall ground out through clenched teeth, suddenly overwhelmed by the discomfort caused by the medicine. He hadn't expected for it to have been a pleasant experience but no one had warned him about the sensation he would experience, at least not properly. While the petrification had been ice cold, it felt like something was peeling his skin with a white hot metal girder and he was barely able to bite back the hiss and will himself to breathe through the pain.

"You, petrified? Nah, there's no need ta be," Irvine drawled as he emptied another two rounds into the monster before being forced to reload. Despite the pain, Squall easily covered him from his position, the Thundara spell hitting the monster and causing it to drop down onto its stomach. He also realized that the sharpshooter had misinterpreted what he'd been saying. "Saw what ya done with tha otha one. Real impressive stuff. Find it hard ta believe yer scared after all that."

"Not what I meant," Squall all but hissed out as he rolled his eyes. "_Petrified!_ Watch out for it's fire breath! It turned my legs to stone!"

"Oh, _petrified!_" Irvine said through a laugh as he opened fire once again. The laugh continued, almost as though Squall had just told the world's funniest joke rather than warn him of an impending and crippling attack. The mirthful sound was mercifully overshot by the loud concussive blasts from the sharpshooters weapon and Squall was able to concentrate on sending spell after spell at the monster in the hopes of finishing it off.

No sooner had he started did Irvine open fire and blasted the monsters head open like a melon, chunks of gore flecking against the floor and the closest walls. The rest of the monster fell forward and turned a chalky grey, much like its twin, effectively ending the fight altogether.

But as soon as the monster's colouring faded to grey, Squall felt the chalky stone-feeling receding with rapid succession, so much so that he was forced to draw a sharp intake of breath. It wasn't the soft medicine, because he knew from the lessons in class that it took much longer for its affects to kick in, and there was no burning sensation, just a mild discomfort. It had to be the death of the monster that reversed the effects.

Pulling himself up onto his feet, he was surprised that his legs were able to support his weight so soon, but was thankful all the same. The last thing he needed was to have to be carried to the clock tower and wait out the effects. Rinoa for sure would most definitely not let him hear the end of…

His head snapped up in sudden realization. Rinoa. He'd completely forgotten about her with the monster barrelling on them. Turning his back on the sharpshooter and the two stone creatures, Squall moved himself towards Rinoa's prone form, finding that she still wasn't moving. He found that he was disgusted not at Rinoa for her inability to fight the monsters off but for his immediately assumption that she would be able to take care of herself. She was a civilian first and, no matter how well she'd fought alongside them up until this point, her first reaction would always be to panic in the face of danger. She wasn't as equip to handle these kinds of situations as they were. If anything more had happened to her, he would be the one to blame, not her.

A groan broke out from the now still room and he was amazed to see the girl pull herself up into a sitting position. He helped her when she slipped and cried out, noticing that there was a pretty bad looking gash along her left arm that was still bleeding. He realized that was the cause for the pool of blood, but brief glance at it was enough to know that it was superficial at best.

Rinoa grabbed at her arm as it throbbed before pressing down with the palm of her free hand in an attempt to staunch the flow of blood. Allowing himself to sit upon the ground next to him, Squall instructed Irvine to search the contents that had previously been within his bag for some gauze and a potion.

"Ya'lright?" Irvine asked as he joined the pair, crouching down in front of Rinoa. In his hands were the procured objects that had been requested. "We thought ya were a goner."

"I almost was..." Rinoa said in a shaky voice as she treated her wound, pouring the blue liquid into the bandages and pressing it into the cut. "I tried to barricade the door, but there wasn't _anything_ in this room to do that, and they broke through it... literally the doors blew off. Then I tried getting to high ground and, as you can see..." she gestured around the room using her uninjured arm, specifically towards the drapes that hung from the ceiling, "_that _didn't work out, so I resorted to playing possum. I was shaking so bad, I didn't think it was going to work but then..."

She shuddered violently, suddenly, dropping the potion. It spilled onto the floor and mingled with the blood that had yet to be cleaned up. Irvine retrieved it wordlessly and held it with both hands for her. "I was _so_ scared."

Squall frowned thoughtfully as he took in the pallor in Rinoa's features, how wide her eyes were as she relived what had happened. He could see the thoughts running through her mind over and over as she realized just how close to death she'd come to, that this whole thing wasn't just a game, that it was so much bigger than what she'd thought it to be. He watched her out of concern, not really knowing what he could do to calm her down. Even when they'd had to fight the fake President in the train car he hadn't seen Rinoa so unnerved, so shaken, so utterly _broken_ before. He knew then and there that her father had been right to keep her uninvolved. No matter what she thought she could handle, Rinoa wasn't in any state of mind to take on this mission. He couldn't even ask her how she'd gotten there in the first place. It would have to wait until later, until after she had calmed down and once the mission had been taken care of.

The Squad leader mentally weighed their options and realized they were in a tight spot. They very well couldn't afford to take her back home, not now, especially when they were inside the Residence and leaving would simply give the Galbadians a chance to catch them when they weren't supposed to be here in the first place. He wouldn't dare leave her to head home on her own, he wouldn't trust her to make it all the way there in this state and they couldn't very well send one of them to escort her, not while the parade was underway.

Checking his watch, he realized it was 1912. Despite how quickly they'd managed to get into position, it would take way too long to navigate through the throngs of people to bring her back to Caraway's mansion. She would have to stay with them, at least for the time being.

Having come to his conclusion, Squall rose to his feet in order to gather his things, but he was forced to stop when Rinoa suddenly reached up and grabbed at the sleeves of his jacket, holding them in a death grip. It vaguely reminded the SeeD of the forest east of Galbadia Garden, of Zell's frantic pleas that Balamb Garden was safe despite what had happened in Timber. He scowled to himself then, realizing he really should have made other arrangements rather than allowing the Forest Owl's 'Princess' to tag along, orders or not.

"Really, _really_ scared," Rinoa stressed, as though the internal debate in Squall's mind had not taken place. She shook him, as though doing so would drill into him the severity of her situation.

"It's over now," Squall said uncertainly. He glanced over at Irvine, who looked between the pair in confusion. After a second though, the sharpshooter returned his gaze to the Squad leader and gestured, almost expectantly, as though willing him to say more. "I thought you'd be used to battles," he added lamely.

"I am, but..." Rinoa released her grip on his jacket and wrapped her arms around her chest, "I've never fought by myself before. There's always been someone to back me up, but not this time... this time, I thought I was gonna die!"

_Your father was right,_ Squall thought in dismay, _you're not ready for any of this. _He sighed to himself loudly, rubbing his face with his hand.

"Not ta sound all insensitive like," Irvine said suddenly as he rose to his own feet. "But we can't really stick around here. Tha Galbadians'll pro'lly start lookin' 'round here. Our fight wasn't exactly subtle, if ya get mah drift."

Squall nodded in agreement. They still had an operation to take care of and sitting around here for the guards to show up and spot them was most definitely counterproductive. "We'd better get moving then."

As he made to move away, something gripped his arm tightly. In his surprise he stopped and turned to look at the source. Rinoa had somehow managed to spring up onto her feet and had grabbed a hold of his arm, almost like it was some kind of lifeline. She was leaning against him and he could feel her trembling, her face resting against the back of his arm. From that alone he knew what she was thinking.

His frown deepened as he sighed aloud again. "I haven't forgotten your order," he said and shook his head. Rinoa pressed her face deeper into the sleeve of his jacket. "Just stay close to me, alright?"

She nodded against the fabric and he knew – he just _knew_ – that somehow this wasn't going to be the end.

* * *

_Three..._

* * *

_Some of you, who have reread this story, may have noticed that I removed the bit about the haste spell. I did so because of the blurb that I wrote in chapter 17 explaining how powerful Time magic really was. Having Squall cast it here when he's barely getting the grasp of second level spells just seemed out of proportion here, specifically since I'm trying to build up to the final boss of the story. It makes her powers seem very insignificant if _everyone_ can do it, right?_


	38. Chapter XXXVII: Indecision

**Edited: **_06/12/10_

* * *

**Chapter XXXVII:  
Indecision**

* * *

He didn't know how long they had been walking, but it was definitely too long.

It was a stupid plan alright. While the water flowed off towards one direction, they journeyed towards where the trail was coming from in the hopes that it would lead them back to where they were supposed to be. It had been _his _plan, and at the time it had sounded concrete, but now it sounded more and more ridiculous the more he thought about it.

Their surroundings weren't making it very easy to navigate at the same time. Each and every turn was the same, the pathways, the junctions, the gates, hell even the graffiti along the walls looked the same. It was like they'd been plopped right back inside of that stupid Tomb and the brawler was beginning to hate his surroundings the longer they stayed underground.

However, unlike the Tomb, there didn't appear to be any distinct pattern they could follow. At least in the Tomb they'd be able to reach the exit if they took enough of the same turns. Deling City's sewers stretched the entire path of the city, and there was no telling where they would end up if they just randomly chose to pick a direction and go with it.

He hissed out a curse, wondering just how the hell they had all gotten into this mess before he remembered and cursed again under his breath. Why in the hell had the former instructor suddenly felt the need to apologize to Rinoa for anyway? From the sounds of it, they didn't even like each other. He guessed they had to all get along at some point, but it was a strange time to get all buddy-buddy.

Thinking about Rinoa and Quistis' predicament made his mind wander back to the field exam, while Squad B had been guarding the Central Square from Galbadian soldiers. Before that very moment when Seifer decided they had to go investigate the Communication's Tower, Zell had thought that Squall and Seifer had hated each other. Their scars had seemed to prove it and all, but the conversation they'd had at the Central Square and again right in front of the Communication's Tower seemed to throw that theory out the window.

_Why the hell can't people just treat each other exactly how they feel? _The brawler couldn't help but wonder. _Why do people gotta be so damned complicated?_

His question went unanswered because he didn't have a clue. Zell wasn't nearly as complex when it came to other people. If he didn't like them, he didn't pretend to like them. The only time when he didn't just come out and tell the person was if it was a superior officer (like the Garden Faculty), but he never acted all nice to them either. He just kept his mouth shut and his head down in order to stay out of trouble.

Too bad that didn't work when Seifer was around.

He forced the thoughts out of his head and focussed on their current predicament. Seifer was dead and there wasn't anything he could do about it now. Despite not liking the guy though, Zell had meant what he had said back at Galbadia Garden about wanting to avenge the cadet's death. Man was that a fucked up way to die.

Up ahead a little ways, Quistis was silent and had been since they'd left Caraway's mansion to navigate the sewers. He could tell just by the way she held herself that she was blaming herself for their current predicament. He couldn't completely fault her for it though (even if it had been her bone-headed idea), despite the obvious belief in his mind that she could've just stayed put and decided that the conversation could wait. But Selphie and Zell were their own person. They had gone after her – despite having been told to stay in position – and as a result they'd all jeopardized the mission.

And Rinoa had just as much fault in this as everyone else. No, she couldn't control Quistis' actions and hadn't _made_ the elder girl wanna apologize, but holding them up and pissing the former instructor off hadn't exactly helped their situation. The worst part of it all was they _still _hadn't run into her after all this time. Rinoa could be running around where, doing Hyne knew what (though Zell could wager a guess, but he'd rather not).

Thinking about this now made his own blunder back in Timber seem a long time ago. This was King-Shit blunder, and he knew that, if everyone got out of this whole thing alive, they were all gonna be in big shit. Zell wouldn't have been surprised if they all bought the farm a special message would be written on their epitaphs 'Biggest fucking blunderers in history.' Squall was seriously gonna gut them all when everything was said and done.

Thinking along these lines wasn't making him feel any better. If anything, he felt a lot shittier as his thoughts grew darker and, with some difficulty, he forced himself to stop. There wasn't any time to throw any pity parties now. They just had to keep an eye on their surroundings, make sure they didn't get lost (more so than they already were) and hope to reach the Gateway very soon.

Something suddenly caught his attention from behind and he whirled around, only to see that Selphie had stopped walking. Quistis had done the same and was regarding the former Trabian student curiously. "What's wrong?"

"I dunno..." Selphie said with a puzzled expression on her face. "I just suddenly stopped moving." As though to emphasis her point, she tried to shift her shoulders, but the only sign that she was even trying was the scrunched up expression she put on in the effort. "I can't move! I think I'm stuck!"

"You think this is some kinda trap?" Zell asked, panic starting to build in the pit of his stomach. What if the Galbadians had set something up just in case someone tried to crash the parade?

"I don't see any signs of one," Quistis said, shaking her head with the same puzzled expression as Selphie. "I'll look around with a scan spell."

She closed her eyes in concentration and just as Zell was about to mention that it seemed like a good idea, he swallowed the notion as he saw Selphie reach behind her for her nunchaku. He was about to tell the other blonde that it was okay now when the diminutive SeeD threw out her hand, releasing one of the sticks that formed the weapon, and the wooden object crashed against the former instructor's head before he could call out a warning. She was knocked into the wall to the side of them, her glasses falling askew and she slumped against it in an unconscious heap.

There was a moment of silence that might have been humorous had Selphie just had another one of her klutz attacks, but the motion had been too calculated and too well executed for it to have been an accident. Zell looked between the former instructor and the diminutive SeeD in horror before whirling onto the latter, who was clutching at the nunchaku in a battle ready stance.

"Selphie! What the _hell_?" the brawler shouted, indicated the unconscious Squad leader. He was definitely _not _looking forward to having to carry Quistis throughout the sewers. He was especially not looking forward to having to explain to her what happened when she came to.

Selphie looked like she was close to panicking, but her actions belayed her facial features as she approached the brawler with calculated steps. "I didn't do it on _purpose_!" She shouted back in a shaky voice even as her body got into a stance that told the brawler she was going to swing the massive weapon.

"Doesn't look like it to me," Zell retorted as he put up his fists.

Selphie swung the nunchaku in his direction, and the brawler ducked. The wooden stick sailed right over his head before she made a motion with her hand, causing the nunchaku to fly back and the brawler stepped back in order to dodge. It was strange, but it was a different style than what he'd seen Selphie fight in. The movements were slow and gave themselves away, and more important they were clumsy and inconsistent.

"Cut it out!" Zell shouted in his defence. "We're already gonna get in huge shit as it is! I don't wanna _die_ on top of it!"

"I would if I could but I _can't_!" Selphie protested. Zell frowned. He didn't want to hurt the smaller SeeD, but he didn't wanna get hurt himself and defence was the only option he could think of to prevent that. "I'm not doing this on purpose! I can't control myself!"

"Then _get _control!"

"I _can't_!" Selphie stressed again. She was in full blown panic mode now. "_It_ won't let me!"

"_What _won't?" Zell was seriously becoming frustrated now. Selphie was swinging the nunchaku around widely and erratically, trying to knock him off balance and Zell was simply dodging the attacks, not too sure what to think of the situation.

"I don't _know_!" Selphie wailed as she swung forward once more.

Being forced to back up wasn't helping the situation any. If anything it was leading them further and further along the sewers and focussing on defending himself was making him lose track of where they were. They'd moved away from Quistis a little while ago and he could barely make her out in the distance and he wasn't looking forward to the point where he would lose sight of her entirely. Not only would it make it difficult for him to navigate, but if some monster came along while they were away from the area and ate her, he didn't think either he or Selphie would forgive themselves.

That was when he heard a sharp giggle from nearby. It definitely hadn't come from Selphie and he sure as hell couldn't make that kind of sound at such a high octave, and he looked around for the source. Unfortunately he was forced to duck from another swing attack, but this time it was followed up by a kick that resulted with the flat side of Selphie's foot connecting with his abdomen and knocking the wind out of him.

Zell hunched over, drawing in a shaky breath before he was knocked into the wall by a well placed hit to the side of his head. The world dimmed for a second, decorated with drops of grey and black spots while chirping bird noises coursed from one ear to the other. He shook his head to clear it, his surroundings popping back to the dull surroundings of the sewers and frowned when he realized Selphie had walked away from him. It was strange. If she had been trying to kill him (intentionally or not), he figured she'd have at least checked to make sure she was dead.

But no, she was walking towards the edge of the platform, nunchaku having been dropped onto the ground near his prone position. He caught the occasional involuntary flex of her fingers but aside from that her demeanour seemed to generate a calm that should not have even registered.

He wondered what it was she was doing when she stopped at the edge of the platform, and that was when he heard it again, that same eerily shrill laughter that seemed to come out of nowhere. He looked around for the source again, finding nothing until his eyes spotted a darker spot on the ground. The lighting down in the sewers was pretty bad, but it was enough to be able to cast shadows all over the place. He assumed the darker spot was Selphie's shadow.

But there was something strange about it now that he had spotted it. It was darker than most of the other shadows he'd seen and after a minute of staring at it, he could've sworn he'd seen yellow eyes as the giggle sounded again.

And then Selphie screamed loudly as she fell face first into the sewer water.

Cursing, Zell sprung up into action and jumped into the water – knowing that if he dove he might end up breaking his neck. The water was about waist deep on him but he was still alarmed when Selphie didn't spring up to the surface like she should have. Taking in a deep breath, he ducked down below the surface and forced his eyes to stay open under water as he searched for his comrade.

He found her easily enough. She was staying still despite the fact that she was underwater. Her lips were pressed closed – probably in an attempt at hold her breath – and her eyes were shut tightly, her body twitching almost in an attempt to flail about.

Zell reached her easily but when he tried to pull her back up from the surface, Selphie lashed out at him, grabbing him by the arm and hoisting him down and Zell realized that whatever that shadow was was trying to drown them both. He tried to pry Selphie's grip off of him so he could save them both, but she wasn't about to let go anytime soon. The thing possessing her wasn't about to let him save them.

But then something else jumped into the sewer water and a set of hands grabbed the both of them by the front of their clothes, wrenching them out of the water. As soon as they broke through the surface, Selphie started sputtering even as she was climbing to her feet and Zell was breathing hard as well as he tried to catch his breath. For a second there, he thought they were goners and he turned around to thank his saviour only to realize it was Quistis. At some point, she must've regained consciousness and noticed the pair were missing. Zell and Selphie were drenched to the bone, but only the bottom half of Quistis' skirt was wet from the sewer water.

"Watch out," Zell cautioned when Selphie was standing tall again. "Some weird shadow thing's controlling Selphie. It tried to drown us just now."

"I noticed," Quistis stated in a tone that told the brawler she knew they weren't down there for their health. She cracked her chain whip – having removed it from the holster around her hip – into the air threateningly. Selphie yelped in surprise and appeared to try to move back, only the shadow creature wasn't letting her. The attack missed her but only barely and Quistis nodded thoughtfully. The motion must've been some kind of test.

"I've heard of this creature before. It's literally a shadow or a creep," the former instructor explained as Selphie looked around – or was forced to look around – for her nunchaku. "They take possession of a person and use them to kill any surrounding people before killing the possessed person. I'm gathering this one tried to do that to us, but it wasn't very smart in its execution."

Zell opted not to comment because there was really no point.

"So how do you get rid of it?" Selphie shouted as she looked around for the nunchaku. Zell realized it was missing from where he'd last seen it.

"Looking for this?" Quistis asked as she raised the nunchaku in her free hand. Zell realized she must have grabbed it before hauling the pair out of the water. "Creeps are good at casting magic spells of their own, but they can't harness the magic that we use, so they just go for offensive attacks. Take away the person's weapon and they can't do much harm to you after that."

There was a shrill hiss and Selphie suddenly stumbled forward before catching herself. In the spot she had been standing moments ago was a large and tall shadow with long fingers and a scary looking expression in its yellow eyes. Zell could tell it didn't like the idea of someone knowing its weaknesses. Selphie yelped and ducked behind the former instructor, who wasn't fazed by the creature's sudden appearance. In fact, she looked downright happy to see it.

"Shield your eyes," Quistis said before throwing an arm out, and a blast of magic brightened their surroundings, forcing the brawler and the smaller SeeD to blink dully. When the light dissipated somewhat, both SeeDs stared and the brilliant ball of white light seemingly floating in mid air. Then the ball began to split, turning from one into two before splitting again into four. This happened a few more times until there were a lot of white balls, all forming one giant circle around the former instructor. Then Quistis threw her hand out in front of her once again and the balls of light flew towards the shadow, blasting into it and causing a shrill scream to sound from the monster. Then, the light from the blast grew in its intensity, forcing everyone to look away before the sound of an implosion drowned out the sounds of the sewer around them.

For a second, Zell thought they'd all simply died, but when he opened his eyes, he saw that they were still in the stupid sewer, but the strange shadow-monster was gone. Selphie looked just as confused as Zell felt, but Quistis looked satisfied at her handy work. "They're also vulnerable to light spells, like Holy."

"What the hell just happened?" Zell asked, not entirely sure he wanted to hear the answer to that.

"Like I've already explained, Creeps are monsters who possess other people and get them to do the killing for them. They're not entirely strong on their own, but if caught in a fight they can hold their own by casting their own brand of magic. Mostly though, they seem to prefer to stay out of obvious conflict, hiding in dark places and observing the right opportunity to attack. It wouldn't surprise me if Selphie was simply chosen because she stepped into the right path, or even the fact that she was walking behind the both of us."

"So look before you step," Selphie nodded determinately. From the looks of it, she didn't want to be put in that situation ever again. "Got it."

* * *

After Rinoa had calmed down enough to walk, the trio had returned to the hallway that led out onto the balcony after collecting the discarded items from Squall's pouch. Caraway had mentioned something about a hatch that would take them to the clock tower and sure enough they'd found it built into the floor near the wall. From what he had seen outside, the clock tower was right next to the Presidential Residence. It made sense that there was some kind of secret passage way that led into the building.

After opening it up, it had only been a matter of squeezing inside and shutting it tightly behind them, basking them in darkness as there wasn't much light inside the room. The room itself had nothing particularly special about it. It was made up of mostly gears that filled their vision as far as they could see, with steps leading down onto the platform that was covered with tall steel-like spires that Squall assumed were for decorative purposes. He was fairly certain that they were actually standing atop what would be the roof of the carousel. There were round cylinder-like structures positioned all around the platform – six of them on the outer ring, and a larger one in the very centre, with a clown was propped on top of it.

It hadn't taken very long to find the sniper rifle the General had mentioned and, once he'd taken hold of it, Irvine went around to the opposite end of the room and sat down out of view of the pair. For a moment, Squall had wondered why he'd gotten so quiet all of a sudden, but then realized the sharpshooter must have begun some kind of concentration exercise. He had to be in a certain mental state before shot at the Sorceress. It got him to thinking that perhaps Irvine hadn't been trying to get their pity on the train after all, that maybe sharpshooters were lonely by nature because of what they did.

He saw Rinoa hoist herself up onto one of the cylinders. She had calmed down some since they'd killed those two monsters. He wasn't particularly thrilled with the idea of bringing her along, particularly because of her penchant for getting herself into trouble, and hoped all the more that the operation was carried out quickly and, more to the point, the way the General had planned it.

Squall found himself leaning against one on the opposite side facing the raven-haired girl. He wanted to be sure that she really was alright. The last thing they needed was a hysterical civilian and, although he was certain she'd be fine by the time they attacked, he told himself that he didn't want to take any chances.

The raven haired girl was stretching out her legs, no doubt bored with the waiting. Rinoa didn't strike him as the patient type. Even her plans with the Forest Owls had led him to this thought. He wouldn't have been surprised if she'd come up with some kind of plan on her own, which had created the problem with those monsters, but he decided that, for the sake of keeping her calm and somewhat rational, he would keep his mouth shut about the circumstances that had led to where they were at that moment. He wondered if the General knew that his daughter was here by now. He'd obviously gone to the trouble of keeping her uninformed about the situation (which had probably guided her towards this predicament in the first place).

He pondered even more what was happening outside of the clock tower. They still had another ten minutes before they were due to rise up out of the tower, but he couldn't hear anything from the parade. The walls were thick and he could see why the General had chosen this place as their hiding spot. If they couldn't hear out, then no one could hear them inside.

The image of _him_ standing on the float with the Sorceress came back into his mind and his frown deepened. They'd thought he'd been killed, but apparently that had not been the case. Somehow he suspected that the Sorceress had been behind this. He couldn't see Deling keeping the cadet around for any reason, especially after the spectacle he'd pulled in Timber.

He didn't know what compelled him to do this. He knew that it might just upset Rinoa even more, but he also decided that she had a right to know what was going on. "Rinoa..."

The girl looked up from staring at her toes and he knew he had her undivided attention. "Seifer's alive. He was on the parade with the Sorceress."

He could tell she was trying to keep the shock from showing on her features. She seemed to have decided to take a professional approach for the rest of the mission. But knowing that her old boyfriend (Squall wasn't even sure if they'd broken it off or not), was alive when they'd all been informed otherwise was probably like being slapped in the face. He could still see the news shocked her, no matter how she tried to hide it and wasn't surprised when she didn't say a word.

In fact, she didn't speak for a little while after that. The silence permeated through the air deep and thick, almost suffocating so. Normally he wouldn't have been bothered by this, but knowing that even the littlest things could set her off without a moment's notice didn't help matters any. When she finally did speak, her voice was quiet. It was almost as though she didn't really want to break the silence engulfing them at all. "What does that mean?"

"I don't know," he said with a shrug. He didn't want to jump to conclusions, but all the same, it was difficult denying that it looked bad. If he was on the parade with the Sorceress, there was also the chance that he had allied himself with her. And if that was the case and Irvine missed, Squall wondered how that would affect his part of the mission. Would he have to fight against Seifer to get to the Sorceress?

For all of his life at the Garden, he had felt as though he were following Seifer subconsciously. Most of the time he would make a decision only to learn that Seifer had already done the same. It was a small wonder why everyone compared the two. Seifer decided to strive to become a SeeD and Squall did the same shortly thereafter. Seifer chose to train with the gunblade, and Squall made the same choice. Even their training regime was similar. Because their weapons were as unique as they were, he'd had very little choice but to train with the elder cadet.

Even now, when he was a SeeD while the other boy had failed, he still found himself following after Seifer. Seifer came to Timber because he'd met with the Forest Owls. According to Rinoa it was only because of him that they had received their orders at Garden to follow the Resistance Faction in their mission for independence. He'd had a hand in deciding their mission (probably by accident, but it was still a fact), hell he'd _danced_ with Seifer's old or current girlfriend – he didn't know how to classify the girl when he didn't even know the situation between the two. Would he be doomed to follow after the elder boy for the rest of his life, despite getting to a point that Seifer had continuously failed to achieve?

Squall didn't know how he was supposed to feel about that. Their petty rivalry always seemed to follow him wherever he went, and it was frustrating to say the least. And if he let it get to him, would he be able to do what he had to? What was already labelled as a suicide mission seemed to grow more and more complicated as time passed and he didn't like it. He had known that with SeeD there would be missions, and with those missions, he wouldn't be able to choose his enemies, that the client and the Garden would make those decisions for him. It wouldn't make what might come next any easier to deal with, however and the knot that was building up in his stomach intensified at the very thought.

"Rinoa," he said again, and once again he had her rapt attention. She had a right to know what might happen, regardless of her reaction to the news. "I may end up having to kill Seifer."

He didn't know what he'd expected. Maybe a shout of fury, or a desperate plea for him to spare the elder boy's life, to hear him out and hear an explanation for his actions. He had no idea, and maybe he never would know. But when she leaned forward and hung her head in silence, her feet dropping to the ground beneath them, he knew that hadn't been at all what he'd expected of her. He would've thought she'd have been sad and upset, just as she had been back at Galbadia Garden when they'd first heard of Seifer's fate. Squall wondered if she'd gone into shock after they'd saved her from the monsters, and again he had to wonder if she was really alright.

She didn't say anything for what felt like a long time, and when she did her voice was still very quiet. "You're both… prepared, right?"

He stared at her for a second, and when she looked up at him, she shrugged almost nonchalantly. It didn't seem right coming from her. She was supposed to be the emotional one. She was supposed to care. "It comes with the job, I guess. Even though he's not a SeeD, that's just the world he comes from. Same as you, right? I mean, it really is just another day as a SeeD. I mean no disrespect," she added quickly, though Squall had made no move to make any remark. "But that's just what you guys do. You've had a lot of emotional training to be able to handle something like this. You'd have to, to do the things you guys do and all.

"Still," she added, leaning back against the cylinder, seemingly mirroring his stance. Her hands were propped up behind her to keep her balance steady. "I'd rather it not happen at all. But I think I'm tired out from crying over Seifer's death the first time."

Squall frowned, wondering what that was supposed to mean, but opted not to comment. That was her business, not his. Pushing himself away from his leaning post, he watched her tilt her head curiously. It was like she was asking him what he was planning to do while they continued to wait. "Well, whatever the case, it's up to Irvine."

As much as he didn't want to admit it, he was a little worried about the sharpshooter. While he believed Irvine knew what he was doing, he'd been quiet for a pretty long time now. Squall wasn't the type to care for saying very much, but the manner of the arrogant shooter was getting to him. Irvine didn't strike him as someone who kept to himself while surrounded by people, particularly those of the opposite gender. He decided to go check up on him.

But when he saw him, propped between two of the cylinder posts, Irvine was twitching slightly. Squall almost thought he'd fallen asleep, but he'd never seen the sharpshooter like this before. Slowly, so as not to startle him, Squall crouched down beside him, draping his arms across his knees and sighed. "Don't tell me your nerves are getting to you."

Irvine looked up at the sound of his voice and Squall frowned, sincerely hoping that he hadn't touched upon the problem. Irvine's face was covered in sweat, his breathing had increased and the expression on his face betrayed his worry.

The next words that came out of Irvine's mouth synched the situation. "I can't do it."

* * *

"Hey!" Zell shouted as he looked out the window. "We barely made it in time!"

Surprisingly enough, it hadn't taken that much longer for them to navigate through the sewers, but that was a lifetime that Quistis wanted to get back, even though she knew she never would. Soon after setting off once Selphie had regained control (and both younger SeeDs had dried out their clothes as best as possible), they'd made it a point to keep an eye out for monsters and shadows alike. That didn't stop them from encountering any, however. A giant mantis that seemed to thrive in the dingy watery surroundings had come after them, of which Zell – using the strength awarded to him by the GF's he'd junctioned – managed to grab it by its tail and throw it back into the waterway before they'd made a run for it. There were bats in the sewers that had tried to attack them, but between her blue magic and Selphie's impressive supply of magic spells (that the elder girl had never seen before in her lifetime as a SeeD) they had been quickly dealt with.

Throughout the journey, Quistis had been wondering about her sudden guilt – the reason they had been put in this situation to begin with. It was awfully ill-timed, and she couldn't help but wonder what had brought on the sudden need to apologize to the raven haired girl. They hadn't gotten on well at all from the start, even back at the television station there had been friction between the pair. Quistis had been trying to do her duty while this nosey little resistance brat tried to worm her way into something that was bigger than she was. The aggravation had gotten worse between them during their trip to the tomb, and it had been silently decided the two wouldn't try to get into the others way.

They weren't friends, they couldn't even be labelled business acquaintances, and she doubted that was ever going to change. So when the girl had finally pushed the right button to set the elder girl off, why had she become so compelled to apologize? She kept telling herself that it was because she wanted to appear professional, but she could tell it was something more. It had started back in Timber, probably around the time when Rinoa had insisted she tag along with them to their next destination. And the way she had roped herself in had been done so childishly clever that not even Squall could have argued with her.

She had started when she came to a startling realization. Could she somehow be jealous of the younger girl?

At first, she'd shaken the idea away. Quistis had accomplished a lot during her relatively short life, and probably a lot more than what Rinoa could possibly hope to boast. But the more her thoughts dwelled onto it, the more she was starting to think that perhaps the animosity between her and Rinoa really is centred around her jealousy after all. What she had to be jealous of, she wasn't entirely sure but somehow Squall was firmly rooted into the picture.

Quistis shook herself of these thoughts. Now was not the time to be pondering about the resistance fighter. She could sort out those thoughts later.

Presently, both she and Selphie were standing by the window, discovering that Zell's declaration of their timing was accurate. The clock that stood tall right behind the Presidential Residence was reading 1954 hours. The float that was carrying the Sorceress was steadily reaching the Gateway. It would only be a matter of time before they had her trapped.

Precisely six minutes later, the float was moving through the gateway and, in the distance, she saw something happen at the Presidential Residence. What looked like a carousel was rising up from the ground, an assortment of lights shone from the structure. While she couldn't see them, she knew that Squall and Irvine were already standing by, waiting for the gateway to close.

Another look out the window revealed that the Sorceress' parade was passing beneath them. Some of the dancers were already at the other end and the float itself was dead centre inside.

"Do it, now!" Selphie shouted, and an instant later, Zell and Quistis moved to the controls to activate them. Selphie kept watch out the window as they worked and it was Zell that pulled the lever when the rest of the console had been brought online.

* * *

The Sorceress rose from her seat as the gate in front of her hit the ground, barring the float's path and startling the dancers ahead of her into a frenzied panic. Curling her lip, she couldn't help but be somewhat impressed. In all the scenarios she had tossed about in her mind, this had to be the most unexpected. The thought of making her float immobile so as to prevent her escape was a well executed move indeed. Too bad these fools didn't realize how easily she could simply pass through doors and walls as she so pleased. But she would let them think they had her. For now at least.

A grinding sound from behind told her that the same had happened behind. She whirled around and saw the gate slam into the ground. Screams from the dancers told her the wretched people were scattering from their positions, leaving her almost entirely alone in the fools trap.

Turning back to face the Residence, her features formed a scowl. That meant the two in the crowd had accomplices in this whole orchestrated mess. This had been thought out down to the minute, and she wondered for the briefest of moments how they could have possibly known that she would pass under the gateway at that particular moment? The answer was simple. Someone in the government must've been in on this, and she had a fairly educated guess as to who was the guilty party. But his punishment would come later. First she would deal with the flies he had sent to finish her.

Quietly, she signalled to the soldiers who were driving the float. They nodded and stood at the ready. She had expressed her orders without words. There could only be one way they had locked her inside of the Gateway and that had to mean someone was there as well. But first, she'd wait to see what the fools had planned.

Her knight looked around, his grip on his gunblade tightening, but she waved at him to calm down. He did so, albeit reluctantly. She smiled. She knew his only purpose in life now was to protect her, and he would be given the opportunity soon enough.

Around her the crowd grew restless, betraying the anger that was boiling deep inside of her. She allowed them to do so, while the Galbadian soldiers and police attempted to stave the masses.

With everything set, she stood patiently awaiting the enemy's worst.

* * *

"Irvine Kinneas!"

Squall had never found himself in a position to raise his voice. In his life at the Garden, the odd hardening of the tone of his voice seemed to speak volumes and many people got the hint. He shouted, but usually it was during training exercises with the people he had been paired with and, most recently, to send tactical information to the rest of the team. But in everyday life, his voice always stayed at the tenuous volume that any other speaker would use to converse with one another.

That is, until now.

Now, Squall was shouting at Irvine, trying to knock some sense into him and get him to ignore the full blown panic that had overtaken him to do his job. He didn't do it out of anger, but out of the fear that they would be discovered the longer they laid in wait. He couldn't afford to wait it out until Irvine pulled himself together, he needed the sharpshooter coherent and he needed it to happen _now. _

He should have realized this would happen. Squall supposed that in the back of his mind he had. Irvine had boasted and bragged about his prowess as a marksman, about how he never missed his target, no matter the situation. His claims and boasts meant shit all if he didn't actually take the shot in the first place. Down below, he could hear the crowd stirring, becoming restless from the sudden disruption of the precedings, though whether it was due to their own personal anxiety or an after effect of the Sorceress Squall doubted he would ever know. Regardless, the Galbadian soldiers below had their hands full in restoring order and restraining the crowd and it would only be a matter of time before they sent their people to investigate the hold up. Eventually they would come to realize that there was someone hiding in the Gateway's control room. With any luck, Quistis' team would already be long gone by the time they thought to investigate, but he couldn't allow himself to rely on luck.

Disregarding the others altogether, if they didn't move quickly, the problem would be rectified and the parade would go on as planned. They're chance would have gone wasted.

Ever since Irvine had first proclaimed that he couldn't go through with the mission, he'd been coming up with excuses, seemingly unaware of their current predicament, all of which Squall lacked the patience to listen to. "I always choke like this..." he admitted and he seemed almost ashamed of it. "I try ta act all cool and like, joke around and stuff, but I just can't handle tha pressure. I never could."

"Forget about it!" Squall said frantically as he took in the sights below. The police and soldiers in the area were just barely holding the crowd at bay. From the looks of it, a riot would break out at any given second. "Just shoot!"

Irvine seemingly ignored him. Maybe he was too overwhelmed by his grief that he just couldn't hear the SeeD. Either way, he continued regardless. "Tha Sorceress... my bullet. I'll go down in history. Whether I hit or miss, it'll all be written down for a bunch a kids ta read. I'll have changed tha history of Galbadia forever. And what about tha world? They'd hear about it too! It's just too much ta take! It's all too much..."

"Enough!" Squall shouted. Behind him he knew Rinoa was watching the two like she was watching some kind of perverse tennis match. He ignored her as best as he could. "Just shoot, already!"

"I already told ya!" Irvine snapped back, finally meeting his gaze. "I _can't_, dammit!" The expression on his face was anything but angry. He was scared beyond all reason. Just knowing that he could be responsible for single handedly taking out the Sorceress or fucking up the attempt seemed to weigh too much on his shoulders. He ran his hand down his face, wiping away the sweat though more ran down his face from beneath his hat.

Squall suddenly realized that yelling at Irvine and hammering it into his brain wasn't going to be enough. He'd have to try another tactic. Running his own hand down his face and shaking his head, he took in a deep calming breath and let it out slowly. "Irvine, just calm down. Take a breath. It's not just on you. _Everyone_ is waiting on _us_ to get this done."

"What if I miss?" Irvine shot back.

"I don't care," Squall replied calmly and Irvine stared at him like he was Gerogero revived. Squall shook the thought away while keeping his expression carefully neutral. "Whatever happens, happens. Just leave the rest to us."

"But tha shot, it's the foundation of this whole damn mission."

"No, it's not," Squall said slowly, vividly reminded of his role should Irvine fail to kill the Sorceress from afar. He forced another calming breath before pressing on, knowing that he had to do something. The important part was that he get Irvine calm enough to actually go through with his part of the mission, even if it meant ensuring that he took over at what was fast becoming the inevitable outcome. "It's more like a signal, one that tells us to get into position. Just think of it like that, and it'll be fine."

"A signal..." Irvine asked slowly. Squall realized that it was working. Irvine had stopped shaking at least. "Just a signal... for yer people ta do yer job."

Squall nodded silently. Though it added more weight on him, whatever got Irvine to shoot was worth it. Behind him, he heard Rinoa step forward. "Please, Irvine? Everyone's waiting."

At first, Squall thought that would put the pressure back onto the sharpshooter, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. Wordlessly, Irvine leaned forward, raising the rifle over the edge of the wall that had erected itself once the carousel had risen up. They had adequate cover. There was no way they could be spotted by the officials down below before it was too late.

Irvine poised himself over the rifle, his hand on the trigger as he took aim. He shook his head for a moment – Squall had thought for a second that he was going to chicken out again – before Irvine resumed his aim. A moment after that, he pulled the trigger and opened fire.

* * *

_Two..._


	39. Chapter XXXVIII:Out From Behind a Shadow

**Edited: **_06/13/10_

* * *

******Chapter XXXVIII:  
Out From Behind a Shadow**

* * *

The sky was a deep dark blue with stars straining to fight against the artificial lights of the city they shone down upon. Even the park was ablaze with unnatural yellow light, the garish colours easily pushing back against them. Even the park was awash with it all, and the stars could only blink back helplessly as they were overcome, just as it was with most major cities. The buildings and the smog that came with the pollution of a major metropolis were smoldering and smothering, towering above those who dwelled in their inner and drowning them with a sense of claustrophobia. Newcomers were always overcome by the sensation whereas the natives walked on as though they could not live without it.

Even the park, the biggest and most open space available in Deling City, was not immune to this. In fact, the garish light fixtures that littered the walks, the gateway and streetlamps, even the Presidential Residence beyond lit the way with electricity to run a smaller town for decades. The people, currently barricaded by the soldiers and police who were sworn to protect their own, thrashed against their keepers, competing as they normally did with one another in the throngs. Their fever became all the more powerful, threatening to push past the barricade, not knowing why but feeling caged enough to know enough to do so.

This was not unexpected, as the Sorceress' own frustration seemed to fuel their unease, a side effect of her power over the fools. It would matter very little in the end, but her main concern was the two interlopers she had lost sight of upon the start of the parade. She had witnessed them fighting almost effortlessly amongst the crowd, fighting the tides to reach their destination behind, the Presidential Residence. She had assumed as much from the very start, but had soon lost sight of them altogether.

Sorceress Edea contemplated alerting security if only to acquire a visual of the fools but shooed the thought away. More than likely the less than helpful dolts employed by the late President would interfere, and that would take away the fun of their defeat, to know that they were bested even when everything fit into place. No, she would allow them to illusion of their victory, if only for the moment, before she would utterly crush them.

Still, she had half an eye trained on discerning their location, wondering what it was they were scheming, thinking it funny that they truly believed they were worthy contenders for the might of the Sorceress. Righteous fools.

Despite not giving any word to her security in the Residence, the soldiers around her were not so easily dulled into complacency when trapped. They had gathered their own reconnaissance of the situation and it took them little time at all for them to realize this was a group at play. The accomplices of the fools from the crowd were most likely responsible for the gateway and were most definitely still within the vicinity. Her powers sensed their presence, and even then it was not needed, for she could make out the slightest trace of brown hair poking out from the window beyond.

Still she forced her men to wait, she stayed at the ready while she located the pair but as the seconds passed she began to grow concerned. She'd given them more than enough time to do what they could, and yet nothing was happening. Her unease flowed from her like ripples in a pond, spreading out their reaches to those around her, even beyond the cage the Gateway had become. She could feel it in the air, the tension that was caused by her ill ease but she forced her soldiers to stay their place and wait for her signal. Even her knight, crouched down beside her throne like an obedient pet, remained in his kneeling position, but she could feel the anxiousness crawling from his form. An anxiousness that had little to do with fear and more to do with the knowledge of the intruders.

Sneering suddenly, her back turned to her loyal defender, she wondered briefly what would happen if he knew who it was she was waiting for. She had recognized his face the moment she had spied him in the crowds and couldn't help but wonder how her knight would handle the news.

With a simple command, she could easily put all of this nonsense to rest, but it would be a waste. The fools trapped in the upper chamber of the Gateway were caught, and there was no getting around it. But it would serve her little if the rest of the team managed to elude capture. Furthermore, she was inclined to believe that this was to be an inside job, how else would the fools know exactly what time she would pass through the gateway? No, if they escaped, the pair would report to their superiors and then the attempts would continue.

Not that they would succeed, but it would become very tiresome very quickly. No, it would be better for all involved if the light of rebellion was snuffed out tonight.

She scanned the area, already under the effects of her scan spell, and expanded the radius of her search like no other possibly could. Sending trendles of magic out like feelers, she gaged the area, looking for the spot in which her quarry was hiding. She could see the three bodies giving off heat signatures in the room upstairs. From the looks of it, two were preparing to leave but the third – the one to have given away their position – would not leave, seemingly mesmerized by the sights afforded to him. The longer he stalled the worse off they would be, and this was perfectly fine with her.

Still she could not spy the missing two from the crowd and she expanded her search further, the area enveloped with a 360 degree arc that left no one out. No one would feel the feelers she sent out, no one would even notice their presence too involved in their own selves to notice they were being spied upon.

But then she spotted them, hiding amongst the bright lights and behind the crowd who even now was growing restless. Curling her lip she had to give them their due credit. The carousel clock beside the residence was the cleverest of hiding places, though what they meant to do with their position she could only speculate.

She only had a moment to ponder why they had yet to take advantage of their opportunity when it happened. From the two signatures who were standing just beyond the platform of the clock, heat registered from the tip of the object one of them was holding. It only took a second for her to realize what had just happened and it brought her out of her musings in time for her to respond in kind.

But even as she stopped the blast of lead with a precisely aimed protect spell, she glowered with a fury not yet felt. How dare they? How _dare _they have the gall to kill a Sorceress from afar rather than face their fate head on? The particles of what had once been a bullet fell languidly towards the ground at her feet but they went ignored as she glared in the direction of the cowards. Had they truly believed the small article of shrapnel would be enough to kill her?

Of course they did, she realized with slight jolt. Because they would not be able to best her anyway else.

It was one thing to attempt to kill her. She had expected the reaction since being announced as Deling's Ambassador. But it was another to do so from afar where she could do very little in regards of protecting herself. The least they could do was stare her in the face as they put themselves to the challenge of ending her life. Still, it was brilliant. She neither could nor would ever deny this fact, but it was all the more infuriating, knowing that her enemy would try to kill her without dirtying too much in the process.

She turned her grim expressions towards the soldiers who were waiting for her signal and, with a nod of the head, they blasted inside the gateway. She could feel the eyes of her knight watching on in shocked fascination of her handiwork but she gave him little mind, instead waiting to see what the fools had planned next.

* * *

"How come we didn't account for a protect spell?" Selphie deadpanned incredulously from her vantage point at the window, frowning as she spoke.

Once the Gateway had been set up, all they'd needed to do was leave but Selphie, being a firm believer in witnessing for yourself whether or not the job was done properly had refused to leave her perch, waiting to see the aftermath of the Sniper's team attack. Despite Zell and Quistis' insistence that they needed to leave, she'd stayed rooted to the spot, right up until the moment where the Sorceress had dispelled the bullet that should have killed her. "I mean, she _is _a Sorceress after all. Maybe we _should've_ borrowed the Odine Bangle from Rinoa after all."

Meanwhile, Zell couldn't say anything to that at all, having witnessed the sight from an angle. He had wondered the exact same thing the moment it had happened and after a moment of dull silence, he couldn't help but snort. It seemed like the General had thought out this plan just as much as the Forest Owls did their own operations. Like father, like daughter, he supposed.

Still, the delay in watching the events below unfold had cost them some major time that they couldn't afford.

"I saw the Sorceress gesture to some of the soldiers outside," Quistis said suddenly but before she could add anything else, the door below was blasted open and the trio could hear the thunderous footfalls of the soldiers below swarm inside. They were trapped.

Zell couldn't help but think that the Squad leader was going to kill them all if they got out of this one alive.

The former instructor cursed lightly under her breath and Zell resisted the urge to punch the floor as Selphie backed away from the window tentatively. That head start most definitely would've been wonderful right now, but as it was they couldn't make a move without being riddled by bullets.

"We know you're up there," a deep booming voice came from beneath them. They were standing just below the hole that was their only exit. From below, Zell heard the cock of automated weapons. From the sounds of it, they sure as hell weren't about to make things easy for them, now were they?

"We've you completely surrounded," the soldier continued as the three SeeDs exchanged glances between one another. "Come down with your hands up."

"Well," Selphie said suddenly, breaking the silence that had fallen. Zell was surprised to find, when he turned around to regard the smaller her, that she was wearing what could only have been described as a mischievous grin. How could she possibly be grinning at a time like this?

"You guys heard the man," she cheered, seemingly unbothered with the thought of being blown to 'smithereens' should she climb down.

Then before Zell could begin to figure out what the shorter girl was up to, she suddenly _ran_ the short distance from her position in the centre of the room towards the hole, jumping just a few inches shy and barely avoiding colliding into the ladder (something Zell had assumed would happen, given the girl's clumsy streak). The brunette disappeared through it and a moment later, a bright light shone from down below, followed by startled cries and shouts that filled the room.

Zell squinted against the light, figuring that Selphie must have had some kind of flash. Somehow though, the brawler didn't think the flash was going to last very long. They would have to act quickly.

"I think Selphie has the right idea," Quistis pointed out, seemingly having drawn the same conclusion. Without another word, Zell gestured for the former instructor to go ahead of him and that she did. Much the same as Selphie, Quistis jumped and disappeared through the hole. Just as the flash was beginning to fade, it was preceded by another and Zell took the opportunity to jump right after the elder girl in order to take advantage of it.

As he fell through the gap, he caught sight of the Galbadian soldiers all covering their eyes having been blinded by whatever affects the two girls had used. From his stint as Kiros in the Dream World, Zell recalled how the helmets the soldiers were wearing had inferred sights, and since it was night time, Zell guessed they'd all had them activated. The second blast of light had been unnecessary, though procautionary.

He wasn't knocking it however, and the soldiers soon disappeared from sight as he descended even further down, landing into a crouch on the platform of the sewers. Quistis had waited for him, but Selphie was already running down the platform, back the way they had originally come.

"Split up!" Quistis instructed before Zell could ask her about it. "We'll meet back at Caraway's residence as planned and work out our next move!"

Both blondes charged away from the ladder and down the platform before they did just that.

* * *

It was all it took. As soon as the Sorceress' rage became too much, the crowds suddenly shot forward, forcing their way past the guards and police who had kept them at bay, attacking each other. Friends, families, loved ones, their targets no longer mattered, so long as they hurt something or someone. It was inexplicable to them. The savage beast-like behaviour seemed to consume them all. People fought with broken bench legs, metal batons that had been taken from some of the more baffled police officers, but most attacked with their bare hands, never minding the damage they were causing or the injuries they received for their efforts as an all-out riot broke out within the streets. What they were protesting, no one knew.

Above them all with a clarity of mind that had been rare since the start of the night's proceedings, Rinoa stood with her hands covering her mouth in stark horror as she took in the scene, her eyes wide in alarm by the citizens' seemingly sudden aggression. Her jaw was slightly agape in her shock and her eyes darted from left to right but never leaving the sight before her, as though she had become mesmerized. Squall would never assume to think he knew what crossed other people's minds, but in most cases Rinoa was an open book. It wasn't too difficult to guess what she was thinking. This time was no different.

Beside him, Irvine slumped back as he dropped the sniper rifle onto the floor beside him before he hung his head, his features betraying the devastation he felt. Despite the SeeD's effort at instilling in the sharpshooter that the shot was not a huge deal, the latter male still seemed disappointed.

But the sharpshooter had not missed. Squall knew this and, upon retrieving the rifle and looking through the scope, his concerns were justified as he watched the last of the particles of the spell the Sorceress must have cast disappear through the lens. He cursed, realizing that they should have found a means of deterring the Sorceress from using her magic before taking the shot, but that would have done little. The Sorceress had been staring right at them as they'd taken aim and he realized then and there they had been too late.

The mission had been doomed from the moment the gate had crashed and both he and Irvine were at fault.

The SeeD swallowed hard as he realized now what it was he must do. Regardless of who's fault it was, Irvine had failed to kill the Sorceress. Now his operation – his _solo_ mission – had begun.

"I'm sorry," Irvine said sullenly and he meant it. Squall knew how important it was for him to get her in the end and he rose to his feet.

"It's alright," he said, his tone strangely nonchalant despite the unease crawling through him. "It was just a signal."

Irvine looked up at that and stared at the SeeD for a moment, his expression tightening as he knew what was about to happen. Both shared a look before Squall clenched his jaw and his hand fisted. He had very little time to waste.

The sharpshooter was the first to break eye contact and he nodded back grimly, aware of the same thing that ran through Squall's mind. This was probably the very last time they would see each other. "Good luck," the cowboy offered him, his features barely readable for how smooth and solid they appeared.

Squall offered a nod of his own, even as Rinoa protested behind them. Clearly she had no idea what they were talking about and he didn't have the time to explain. Inclining his head behind him, without so much as offering her a glance, spoke his last words, "Take care of Rinoa."

And despite yet another sound of protest from the girl, Squall was off, stepping out onto the edge before dropping. He could barely hear the startled shriek as the searing of wind took over, a sound he heard as he cut through the air in a fall that ended in a hastily formed crouch. Rising up quickly, the Squad leader pressed onward, his gaze trained on the podium that stood in his way and in one fluid movement, he had drawn the revolver, the moonlight gleaming across the metal as he propelled himself up and over the platform, gunblade raised over his head, into the river of rioting pedestrians and civil servants below.

The police and the soldiers guarding the area had their hands full trying to restore order and calm to the aggressive people, though they too seemed to be fighting the unknown rage that flowed through their system. Rather than pushing back the people who were shoving them, they shoved right back, withdrawing their batons and tasers and assaulting the civilians who would have otherwise rent them to shreds. Thoughts of survival were seemingly all that filled the streets as everyone participated in the fight that would most undoubtedly live on for years to come.

Squall was unconcerned by any of this, only knowing that he had to buy the others enough time to escape, that he might not come out of the upcoming fight as a free man, or at all. One soldier was fortunately enough to look up throughout the crisis and, seeing Squall coming, he raised his tower shield over his head, forcing it to take the brunt of the SeeD's fall. The momentum was too much for him and he was forced down along his back while the SeeD pushed off and remained stationary. Without wasting any time, he pressed on towards a parked blue car he had spotted as they'd risen in the clock tower with the full intention of utilizing it. It would be suicide to attempt to swim through the river of the angry mob and the automobile would not only push passed those who got in his way but it would make the trek far quicker.

Without any trouble, Squall climbed over the door instead of opening it, dropping the revolver into the passenger's seat as he settled behind the wheel. Leaning forward, he pointed both his index and middle fingers at the ignition and allowed a spark of thunder magic to fly through the keyhole. A moment later, he heard the roar of the engine and knew it had worked. Thankful that he had paid close attention when he'd learned about hot wiring cars with paramagic, he sat up in his seat.

Unfortunately, the sudden roar of the vehicle had also alerted the surrounding soldiers and they sprang into action. The one to his immediate left ran straight for him, though was barely able to grab a hold of the car door as Squall backed the car up and prepared to turn the car in the direction he was going. By this time two more soldiers reached him and attempted to stop him and remove him from the vehicle.

Not even bothering with them, Squall shifted the car into drive and turned the wheel as he sped forward, losing two of the three soldiers in the process. The first soldier remained latched on to the door of the car and, apparently not realizing Squall had little concern over his safety, fell forward as his body refused to keep up and then Squall was speeding undeterred towards the gateway, switching gears to maintain his speed as he neared his destination.

* * *

"What does he think he's _doing_?" Rinoa shrieked loudly as she reached the edge where Squall had jumped.

The words the pair had spoken before Squall had seemingly decided to put himself out of his misery had confused her at best. Why would Irvine wish Squall luck when it was clear the mission had ended in failure? It didn't make much sense. What had Squall meant when he'd told Irvine to take care of her? They were just going back to the mansion to regroup weren't they?

That was what Rinoa had thought _before _Squall had jumped.

But where Rinoa had expected to see a lifeless broken body, the result of the careless leap, was the sight of Squall propelling himself off the podium Deling normally used for his longwinded speeches. Then he was gone amongst the sea of angry citizens and police alike.

The raven-haired girl had no idea what she'd expected from their mission tonight, but it sure as hell was not anything remotely close to this. She'd known their objective was to kill the Sorceress but she'd never once stopped to think of how they were supposed to execute it, only knowing that her idea with the Odine Bangle – now lost somewhere in the Residence – had been far superior. What had inspired Squall to suddenly go off the handle like that? Did he think that charging out in the streets with weapons raised would force the soldiers to mistake him for one of the civilians? Even Rinoa knew that was a crazy idea.

But who said this mission was sane to begin with?

She felt a pressure around her arm and tore her gaze away from the crowded streets to spot that Irvine had grabbed her and was no forcibly dragging her away from the edge. "We gotta go," he drawled, and something in his tone almost made her want to stop asking questions altogether and do what she was being told to.

Rinoa caught herself before she could relent though. Twisting her arm, she managed to break his hold and backed out of reach before he could reclaim it. They were at an impasse then, with her glaring at him her hands on her hips and Irvine staring back with an emotionless expression, almost as though waiting to see what else she would do. "That's not an answer."

"We ain't got time fer yer games," Irvine said coldly, and it almost broke through her resolve once again. The sharpshooters tone was usually laidback and almost playful at times. Now, it was like she'd been dropped into ice water and she couldn't suppress the shudder that ran through her. "We don't wanna be 'round when tha Galbadian's come lookin' fer answers."

"And what about Squall?"

"What about him?"

The remark was like a slap in the face and she recoiled as he reached out to grab him once again. Squall was the group's leader and all she'd heard when they spoke of him up until this very moment was reverence and respect. Now, the sharpshooter was speaking of him like some unwanted thing that would only get in the way. Something was going on and she didn't like it.

At her silence, Irvine pressed on, reaching forward again, only to have Rinoa raise her arms out of reach once more. "He can take care of himself, he's proven that before. Our job's ta get outta dodge before the Galbadians get wise and push past tha mob."

"But he's the leader!"

"He's expendable!"

"You better explain yourself, Irvine Kinneas," Rinoa said balefully, her tone having grown cold from the unexpected declaration. Her eyes narrowed into slits as she glared in disgust at the youth who stood before her. He could probably pick her up and carry her like a sack of potatoes if he wanted to, but like hell she'd let him do so easily. Even if it mean jumping off the platform much like Squall had. "Because I'm not moving an _inch _until you do."

Irvine fixed her with an exasperated look, almost desperate to get them both out of there. Let the Galbadians come, she would fight tooth and nail to keep her freedom, but first she wanted to know what was going on now and why weren't they all retreating together.

To further prove her point, Rinoa folded her arms across her chest and narrowed her eyes all the more as she rooted her feet to the spot. Mentally she dared him to have fun carrying her out of there like this.

Finally something seemed to give and Irvine sighed in his frustration. The expressionless mask was lifted and gave way to the desperation the sharpshooter felt. It was almost enough to wrench a gasp out of her but Rinoa managed to regain her composure, or so she thought. Irvine didn't give an indication whether he'd seen the shift or not. "Squall's on a mission of his own," he finally explained. "A solo one, no back up."

"A mission in a mission?" Rinoa asked, horribly confused. Could they possibly do that? She'd heard before that SeeDs could receive objective upon objective during a mission but that the mission was key. It didn't make sense to give someone two missions at the same time.

Then again, Squall had also mentioned that her contract with SeeD was still in effect, and technically that meant they were still on her mission when they'd received this one.

Irvine nodded in response to her question but he spoke quickly, more than likely in the hopes that it would get them moving faster. "Everyone else's s'pose ta retreat ta tha mansion fer further instructions, but Squall's gonna cover our retreat. Tha leader of tha operation was given an additional objective. If we failed ta kill that Sorceress using covert means then it's his job ta get tha job done no matter tha cost."

This time Rinoa did gasp aloud, overcome in her shock at this declaration. She couldn't believe the gall in the General to do something like this, but at the same time she knew she should have seen it coming. Caraway expected nothing but perfection, both from his family and from those who served him. Why should SeeD be any different? "You mean he has to fight the Sorceress, _by himself?_"

When Irvine reluctantly nodded, Rinoa knew she had never before hated the General so much in her entire life, not even when she'd lived with him. Sacrificing one life for another was just insane and she would be damned if she let him have his way. "But that's _suicide!_"

"I know," Irvine said simply.

"No one's a match of the Sorceress! Not even SeeD, not even _Squall_!" Rinoa continued to tirade, furious at the chain of events that were unfolding. How could that man be so callous?

"I _know_," Irvine said again, seemingly only being able to repeat himself.

"That man's gonna get him killed!" Rinoa finally yelled.

Wordlessly, Irvine nodded. It seemed like he'd decided that agreeing with Rinoa might be the quickest means of getting her to shut up and go along with him. Boy was he going to be surprised, especially since she knew there was only one thing they could do.

Squall was not stupid. He had proven this much beforehand. But he was stupidly dedicated to the mission, so much so that even if it meant he was going to die. So being the obedient SeeD he was, his faithful 'I-must-follow-all-orders-given-to-me-no-matter-how-dumb-or-stupid-they-may-sound' attitude would prevent him from asking questions or telling the General where he could go shove his mission.

She had wondered when he'd told her earlier why he felt he would have to kill Seifer to get to the Sorceress when this was supposed to be a covert operation. Now that she knew why, it felt like the ground had been brought out from below her. She suddenly realized that Irvine had not been the only person who worried about the mission, though Squall was far superior in hiding it.

"We're going to back him up," Rinoa declared, knowing that it was the only choice they had left.

"Are you _nuts_?" Irvine exclaimed, the spell of complacency having been broken with that declaration. "The whole point of him chargin' tha Sorceress is ta take tha heat offa the rest of us so we can get on outta here!"

"But what about Squall?" Rinoa asked, outraged that he could even say that. "Should we run and sacrifice him in the end? Because if he goes against the Sorceress alone he will _die."_

She cut off Irvine before he could interject, because she sure as hell wasn't done yet. "But if we go there and back him up, that means he's not fighting alone. It increases his chances of getting out of there alive."

"He wouldn't want that," Irvine managed to say as Rinoa took a breath.

"I don't care," Rinoa exclaimed almost violently. "He's so stuck on completing the mission he doesn't realize there are other ways of getting the job done! And besides, _you _owe him!"

Irvine started as though she'd physically attacked him and she pressed on, pushing against what she knew was a sore spot. "If you had just taken the shot when you should have, we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place. We'd have completed the mission and we'd be on our way back to the mansion instead of standing here arguing!"

Rinoa turned her attention back over the edge and noted that a blue car was barrelling towards the gateway, to where the Sorceress stood trapped. She knew in the back of her mind that Squall was the driver.

Frustration overwhelmed her at the sight, knowing that the longer they stood there arguing, the less likely it would matter who emerged the victor. So, without a second thought, Rinoa hoisted herself up onto the edge and jumped over the side, tumbling almost clumsily as she hit the floor and rolling onto her side. She took a second to recover before pushing herself up onto her feet and running back inside the building. Like hell was she going to jump into an angry mob, even if she did just lung from a cliff.

She heard a loud thud and footfalls coming from behind and she didn't need to turn around to know that Irvine was following right behind her. Smiling in spite of the situation, she turned all thoughts towards their next objective: finding Squall before he did something stupid and got himself killed.

* * *

"All units, a blue convertible is on course with the Gateway where the Sorceress' float is currently locked down," a voice sounded from the radio inside of the car supporting the float. "License plate number 'WH-1637551'. Do not allow it to reach the gate, I repeat..."

"How touchingly sweet..." Edea crooned before snapping her fingers. Instantly there was a sharp spark and she watched from the corner of her eye as smoke emerged from the window of the car, signalling the radio's destruction. It wouldn't be big enough to start a fire, but at least she wouldn't hear the ridiculously feeble attempts of the soldiers stationed to protect her from something she would have no trouble defending against herself. If anything it would come down to her anyway.

And sure enough, she heard the car that had been stolen slide up against the gate. From her vantage point, she watched as something black leap out from it, holding in his hand a bladed weapon as he climbed aboard the float.

"You may have the first crack at him," the Sorceress announced, lifting her chin slightly as she spoke. The crouching blonde smiled as she sat back down in her throne. Though she knew her participation in the upcoming fight would be inevitable, it would serve to have a little entertainment before dealing with her would-be-assassin herself.

* * *

Squall barely managed to pull himself up onto the float. There were no grooves that he could hook his fingers into for a sturdy grip and it was difficult finding purchase for his feet as he scaled the side of the structure. He didn't want to use a float spell because there were spells that could get rid of that kind of affect and he would be prone against any other attack the Sorceress had in mind should his spell be removed. It was thanks to the GF's he had junctioned that he had managed the feat as quickly as he had. Without them, he wouldn't have been so lucky.

Resisting the urge to snort at himself for even considering that this situation was even remotely 'lucky', he pulled himself up over the edge of the float and onto its carpeted surface.

Only to come face to face with the bladed weapon that was suddenly shoved into his face.

Despite the sudden shock, the SeeD made no movement whatsoever and stayed in his crouched position as he took in his surroundings as best he could. The Gateway was deserted aside from the Galbadian soldiers crowding around the door leading inside of the structure to the left of him. Frowning, Squall guessed that he had been right, that they were already looking for Quistis' team. If they were following the instructions they'd received, the trio would most likely already be long gone, rendezvousing at Caraway's mansion and waiting for further instructions. If Irvine had enough sense, he'd have already gotten Rinoa as far away as possible and was preparing to regroup with the General.

"So it's _you..._" Seifer Almasy sneered down at him, the tip of the Hyperion about a centimetre away from Squall's Adam's apple. He had a bemused expression on his features. Squall guessed he hadn't spotted him amongst the crowds like he had originally guessed.

"Funny..." Seifer's expression twisted into a thoughtful one as he considered the younger gunblader. "Woulda thought Garden'd at least be smart enough to send better SeeDs than a greeny like you. Then again, they never were all that bright. What's the matter? You the only one around that was stupid enough to accept this job or what?"

Squall didn't answer him, keeping his eyes solely trained on the Sorceress. She was seated on her throne, watching the exchange with a mildly intrigued expression. Her head was tilted to the side and her eyebrow was raised.

"So..." Seifer said after a moment's silence – probably when he realized he wasn't about to get an answer to his question, "this is how it turned out."

The blonde cadet shrugged suddenly – almost apathetically – without lowering the weapon in his hand. "Suits me just fine."

"You're happy," Squall asked without directing his attention towards Seifer, "that you've become a lap dog?"

Seifer laughed, but there was no mirth behind it. Squall had struck a nerve. "I prefer to be called her Knight."

"You look more like her well trained pet than a man in shining armour to me."

Irritatingly, Seifer's smirk hadn't fallen. His words weren't having the desired effect of pissing him off. "Say whatever you want, Squall. _I'm_ not the one at knife point."

This wasn't exactly how Squall had intended to start this fight off, being held down like this by Seifer and allowing the soldiers to chase after the others. There was one thing he could do, but he had to get it right the first time.

Concentrating as hard as he could, he threw out a spell, aiming it past Seifer and towards the Sorceress. Edea continued to stare at them both with a seemingly disinterested expression. Seifer whirled around and his hand glowed green. The thunder spell Squall had cast hovered over the Sorceress' head for a moment before Seifer guided it back towards Squall. The SeeD ducked down, the blast of thunder flew right over his head, but it gave him the opportunity he needed. Raising the gunblade, Squall knocked the Hyperion off balance. Seifer pushed against his own weapon in an attempt to over balance him.

Then Seifer kicked out. Squall was forced to move to the side or otherwise he would have fallen from the float, but before he could charge forward, Seifer stopped him again. Squall blocked the upward slash of the Hyperion and blocked once again when Seifer made to stab forward like a fencer. Using his upper-body strength, he pushed Seifer's gunblade away and tried to move closer to the Sorceress, who was calmly watching the fight with disinterest. But at the last second, he was forced to abort the charge. He caught magic collecting from the side and leapt into a roll, but it wasn't the spell he thought it was. Instead of the magic hurling above his head, the spell swam through the floor before charging up, creating a ring of fire that was all-too similar to the one in the Tomb.

Concentrating on the cold, he allowed the feeling to cascade down his arms and into the handle of his gunblade, the revolver's blade beginning to froth frozen smoke. He swung it forward and allowed the cold air to sweep over the fire, smothering them before they could get too out of control.

He sensed movement from above. Seifer had leapt into the air and was attempting to slash at him with the Hyperion. Squall somersaulted away from the Sorceress, landing in a crouching position, and realized that had been Seifer's intention all along when he rose to his feet and smirked. "Forget about her," Seifer said, gesturing back to where Edea sat with his head. "You're mine, Squall."

And he charged forward, the Hyperion raised and at the ready. Squall did the same and the two weapons clashed with the sound of metal crashing upon metal. Each fighter pushed on their respective weapons in an attempt to overpower the other. He thought he might have a chance to win the struggle, however, because the Hyperion was one handed and light, while the revolver was wielded by both hands.

What he hadn't expected, however, was for Seifer to raise his left hand, so that his palm was in Squall's face. The SeeD sensed the magical energies pooling at the very centre and forced Seifer's right arm sailing above. He spun very quickly, throwing his foot out and forcing the elder teenager off balance, the fire spell shooting overhead. But just as he planted his foot back on solid ground, Seifer's fist connected with his jaw, forcing him back onto the floor.

He winced slightly, knowing that it was only because of his junctions that his jaw had not unhinged itself from the rest of his skull. From the force of the attack, the cadet was junctioned as well. He barely had time to recover from the blow, and he noticed in veiled delight that his distraction was proving to work as some of the soldiers who had gathered in front of the door leading inside of the Gateway were approaching the float, their weapons primed and ready to take out the threat to the Sorceress.

"Fuck off!" Seifer snarled at the approaching guards, who regarded him curiously and hesitantly. "She said he's _mine_!"

Squall frowned thoughtfully, even as he threw out his foot and knocked Seifer back, almost knocking him off balance. He used the momentum of his movement to flip himself into a crouching position before throwing out his right arm. A blast of fire hit the pavement below, forcing the soldiers to back away from him as he guided the volatile element into an arcing formation.

He was just finishing up when arms wrapped themselves around him in a tight grip. Seifer was half a foot taller than him and Squall didn't even try to convince himself that knocking his head back would do any kind of damage to the elder teenager's face. So instead he dug one of his elbows into Seifer's stomach, catching his rib. He did this a couple more times before the elder boy was forced to release his grip on him completely, which was when the SeeD whirled around and hauled off, throwing a punch that caught Seifer full in the face.

Something was bothering him about the fight. It wasn't just Seifer's presence that told him something was wrong. The problem stemmed from the way he was fighting, from how he was almost obsessively protecting the Sorceress from him to the way he had told the soldiers to stay back. But there was one tell tale sign that set his instincts on full alert. "Since when have you _ever_ followed orders?"

"Since they suited me," Seifer said as he slashed at the air in an attempt to strike the SeeD with the Hyperion. Squall raised the revolver up to block the attack, and realized he had done so easily. "Pissers like Xu and the Headmaster can go fucking take a hike. Their orders mean _shit_ to me. _This_ has always been my dream!"

He pulled the Hyperion back and Squall was barely able to keep in balance. It served him well when Seifer slashed at him in a wide arc as the SeeD was able to duck the blow. What Seifer was talking about – being the Sorceresses Knight – that couldn't have been what he'd wanted to tell him back in Dollet... could it? In all of his life at the Garden, he had never pictured Seifer to be the subservient type. It made no sense when compared to his constant need for attention and his usual arrogance and the amount of trouble he got into. His past actions in his entire lifetime, from classroom to Field Exam and then his stint as the head of the Disciplinary Committee made no sense when compared to this so called dream. There was definitely something _very _wrong with all of this.

And there were only two reasonable explanations. There was the first one, that he hadn't known Seifer at all. It was something he couldn't fathom, but knew was entirely possible. It would be just like Seifer to put up a barrier in the guise of a personality only to show his true colours at the exact moment where it suited his purposes. It was like fighting, he wasn't above resorting to dirty tactics in order to win. But something was still nagging him at the back of his mind when he thought about this, even as he blocked the relentless striking slashes of the Hyperion with the revolver, trying to analyse Seifer's movements and get a fix on his mental state. The strokes were wild and chaotic, much the same as any training session, but the precision bordered on something manic, like he was desperate to please. It was a far cry from that last training session they'd had – the one they still bore marks from.

"Thought I was dead, eh?" Seifer grunted as he threw out his casting hand. "So much lacking confidence. You should know by now that I wouldn't die that easily!"

Seifer threw out a fire spell and, having taken the initiative to back away, Squall parried with blizzard – both spells collided in the centre and bits of elemental particles coloured the air for a moment. When the air cleared, Squall was caught off guard as Seifer seemingly materialized out of nowhere through the haze. He barely had the time to raise his gunblade in a hasty defence. Both blades clashed against each other once more. Seifer's face was inches from his own as he forced both blades down. Too soon after that, they formed an 'X' right below Squall's chin. "Not until I've fulfilled my dream."

Still, Squall tried to come to grips with what was wrong, but he didn't have to look much further. There was a mania in Seifer's eyes that wasn't there before, not even when he'd struck the blow that marred the skin between his eyes. That coupled with the knowledge that Seifer would not have been stupid enough to hint so strongly about his so-called dream was enough to make him believe the second explanation.

Gritting his teeth, he pushed up against Seifer's added weight – his junctions helped him, but only marginally, but that wasn't much to be concerned about. It was only meant to distract the elder cadet from what he was about to do. His left foot was firmly planted onto the ground to steady his balance, but his right leg was tucked beneath him. Finally when Seifer wasn't nearly as in his face, he leaned back while un-tucking the appendage before sweeping it beneath Seifer's own feet and catching him off guard enough to forcefully push him backwards.

Seifer grunted as he was forced back while Squall pulled himself back up to his feet. "Not bad," Seifer snorted, before raising the Hyperion once more.

_He's lost it..._ Squall realized, noting that the situation was grim. There didn't seem to be an end in sight to this conflict. Still, both fighters charged forward, blade hitting blade while Squall ducked his head from an incoming punch. He pushed against the revolver, willing Seifer back towards the Sorceress. They shouldn't be fighting, not like this, but the SeeD knew Seifer wouldn't back away from a fight. Unfortunately, neither could he.

_You're under her spell,_ Squall mentally pleaded with Seifer as he was forced to duck another swipe. _Can't you see that? She tried to kill Rinoa. Doesn't that mean anything to you?_

He wanted to say all of this, but knew that in his state Seifer wouldn't listen to him. The words would be pointless against the hold the Sorceress had put him in. He brought up the revolver into another hasty block and pushed back with all of his strength. If he had to kill the elder cadet, he wanted to make it quick.

Seifer was pulling himself into a charge while Squall gathered the magical energy to finish this off once and for all when they were interrupted. "Enough."

The tone and voice was soft, but the word was harshly spoken. Seifer immediately stopped what he was doing while Squall held off on summoning Quezacotl. The Sorceress rose from her throne and Seifer immediately fell by her side. While he'd erected his features into a position of neutrality, Squall could tell that Seifer had been disappointed in being called off.

"A SeeD..." Edea crooned from where she stood. Her voice was cold and almost calculating as she seemingly appraised her would-be-killer. Judging by her sneer, she wasn't terribly impressed. "Planted in a rundown Garden. Those fools believe that the likes of _you _are of an equal match for me, do they? We shall soon see."

* * *

_Next chapter is the conclusion..._

* * *

_Does anyone else notice how Seifer did _not _lose to Squall during this fight? It was done on purpose._

_The reason being is, while Seifer has to lose against Squall during the parade, I always found it was somehow anticlimatic. Seifer doesn't train so automatically he should lose because Squall did? That was always so stupid to me since Seifer was made out to be such the antagonist to Squall's protagonist that I felt ripped off somehow. Also, it compliments the fight at the very beginning of the game where there really was no clear winner there either. So in short, the title of this chapter eludes to the fact that, as fighters, they are on equal ground. Like it, awesome. Hate it, too bad it's my story. Go read stories where Squall painfully pwns Seifer on numerous occassions._

_Sorry, got a little carried away there for a moment. _


	40. Chapter XXXIX: End Game

**Edited: **_06/13/10_

* * *

**Chapter XXXIX:  
End Game**

* * *

It was strange, almost in an anticlimactic way, how the fight had suddenly ended.

He remembered their fights back in the Garden and how long they would last, usually until either a Garden Faculty or Quistis interceded. The resolution always felt longer than the fights, mostly because neither teenager had been willing to back down. He remembered feeling the embarrassment of making a public spectacle of himself each and every time but in the end the cycle would continue.

So in witnessing how quickly Seifer simply just walked away and appeared at the Sorceress' side at a simple command was unnerving, disconcerting even. It led strength to his theory all the more, that the cadet had been ensnared by the Sorceress' powers, much like Rinoa had less than an hour ago. Much like the citizens now, who were fending off police and soldiers alike due to an inexplicable rage that seemed to have started randomly.

But in seeing that same fury in the Sorceress' glare, the only indication that she was not as calm or as impassive as her facial features led her to believe, he knew that it wasn't random, he knew where the rage had come from.

He had known the mission was a grave one the very instant he'd read over those documents at Galbadia Garden. That feeling had intensified during the briefing with the General, particularly when the original plan was derailed by one seemingly kept together with duct tape. He had had his misgivings, had believed the General was moving too quickly just because he saw an opportunity, but he'd kept his mouth shut all the same. With how convinced the General was that his plan would work with a conviction that suddenly made him so much like his daughter, Squall knew that questioning the new plan would have gotten them nowhere, would have just wasted time. The more he thought about his current situation the more he realized something _should _have been said.

But he was a SeeD, and it was not their job to question why.

He had been forced to remind himself of this, not just the others like he'd originally believed. Half the team was comprised of inexperienced fighters, barely even soldiers at this point in time. One was a recently dismissed instructor only having just been returned to the field after time stuck in a classroom, and the last was a sharpshooter no one knew anything about and yet they were expected to work with. Squall didn't even want to consider Rinoa's accidental involvement in all of this and so with the shake of his head he banished the thought clear from his mind.

For all of these reasons alone he should have brought it up, he should have at least tried to convince the General to stick with the plan that they had, that in the end what mattered was they were prepared enough to take down the Sorceress. But upon learning that _he _would be facing the Sorceress head on should Irvine or the others fail for whatever reason, he had forced himself to bite his tongue and he was just realizing this now.

Now, they were paying for it.

Whatever holes he'd managed to convince himself were easily mended were now torn wide open. They'd never taken into account the Sorceress using her magic to block the shot. Hell, if she wanted to, she could've probably ripped the Gateway asunder in her efforts to escape and proceed as planned, but she had known of their presence somehow. A tip off? No, Seifer hadn't actually seen him in the street, and somehow Squall knew, he just _knew _that the Sorceress had known about them before the parade had even begun.

That would explain why he and Irvine were not affect by her magic like the rest of the crowd had been.

The sniper shot had been their best shot. It had been the focal point of the mission. Here, he was facing the worst and the Sorceress knew it. She stared at him with open contempt and disgust in her eyes and behind them the sounds of the crowd intensified, the people fuelled with an anger that was not their own.

How the hell the Headmaster or Martine had even begun to think that his team was ready for this he doubted he would ever be able to fathom. But there was no point in questioning the situation he was in, not now, not when he needed to be at peak concentration. He couldn't afford to give her an opening to finish this whole mess before it had even begun.

He watched as the Sorceress averted her gaze from him for the briefest moments to say something to Seifer. Recognizing an opportunity, he released the energy he had stored in order to finish off Seifer and watched as storm clouds gathered above their heads, summoning the rain that cascaded upon them when the roof of the Gateway should have prevented it. There was a large rumble that broke through the silent progressions, eliciting shouts of shock and fear from the surrounding soldiers. Then the sky around them lit up as a flash of lightning dropped out of the sky and lanced along the stage-like flooring of the float, only to materialize as the familiar form of the Thunder bird. Pointing its nose down at the Sorceress, as though it were a god challenging a lesser being, Quezacotl struck with an blast of thunder protruding from its beak, lashing out towards the Sorceress who simply stood awaiting the attack.

Edea simply looked up from whatever it was she was telling her 'knight' and, as though mocking the god-like entity, she raised her right hand calmly in front of her, magic collecting from the tips of her fingers into the palm of her hand. Just as the thunder looked as though it would strike her down first, the magic spread out, encasing her in a bubble of pink energy and the electric element simply hit the Shell shield instead of its intended target. As a result, the magical energies that fuelled the attack simply cascaded down the front of the shield like rain hitting the windshield of a speeding car, the tendrils of the supernatural attack dwindling into nothing as the shield absorbed its power into itself. The Guardian Force then disappeared, taking with it its storm clouds and its rain, leaving the float soaked and scorched while having accomplished nothing.

The Sorceress' only response to the sudden attack was a simple arch of the eyebrow. Clearly she was unimpressed. Behind her Seifer kept his face neutral, though the SeeD was fairly certain he could make out the tiniest of smirks threatening to spread the length of his features.

Keeping his own features tightly restrained behind a mask of neutrality, Squall forced himself to slowly lower his arms from in front of him as he attempted to remain calm. He had known when lashing out with the summon that it would have no effect, since no para-magical attack would have done much little than tickle a Sorceress who could utilize the real thing. He had thought he would at least catch her off guard, but that too seemed to be an impossibility. Nevertheless, the last ditch effort had proven to him that his option was clear. Grip tightening on the gunblade in his hand, he prepared himself for the head on assault he knew was his only choice.

"Is that all?" the Sorceress asked blandly. The words were like a slap to the face and the SeeD struggled with himself to not visibly recoil from the barb. Instead, he opted to survey his options as he held the gunblade at the ready.

One of the benefits of training with other SeeD cadets was the experience gained from each and every encounter. Magic users especially where known to fight better when they were further away from the enemy, and usually attacked from behind cover so as to confuse their opponent. More than once during training exercises he had turned his back on a patch of foliage only to receive a blast of fire or some other kind of magic spell in the back for his foolishness.

Unfortunately the Sorceress was different from a lot of those cadets. She didn't need to hide from him in order to unleash her magic without fear of being attacked. This was not a classroom or the Training Centre back at Garden, where trained professionals were present in order to ensure everyone's safety. The Sorceress knew spells that many SeeD members still had trouble mastering, and it was blatantly obvious from Irvine's failed attack that she knew protective spells like Protect and Shell from his own attack.

More importantly, he was standing up against her _alone_. Unlike Edea, he had no back up to rely on, no one was there to pull his ass out of the fire should the situation take a turn for the worst (worse than it already was, at least) . While it would ensure that none of the others who were involved were caught and exposed, it left him in a very dire situation.

Still, he did what any SeeD did on a mission. Throwing away his doubts concerning is objective, he grit his teeth and charged forward, gunblade lowered in preparation of an upward cleave.

The Sorceress didn't bother to guard and Seifer stayed his ground – he'd apparently been given orders to stay out of the fight, but that no longer mattered to him. He wasn't his target. Squall slashed up when he was within the Sorceress' reach, though she raised her hand, conjuring up the blue light of a protect spell to pre-empt the attack easily. He tried again, bringing his weapon down from above this time. Regardless, the result was the same. Raising the blade as though he were about to attack, he watched as she readied another Protect spell before he switched tactics, assuming his own casting stance with his palm stretched in her face, sending a blast of wind straight at her.

Quicker than he had given her credit, Edea followed his lead and stretched out her own hand, causing the aero spell to dissipate before it could reach her. And even quicker still, she unleashed the spell right back at him, sending him back towards the opposite end of the float. He was forced into a crouching position to keep from blowing off the structure itself and when the blast dissipated, he allowed his arms to fall to either side of him, having brought them up into a hasty defence. His arms stung from where the aero spell had struck him and he wasn't surprised to see scratches and tears marring the material of his leather jacket, blood blending with the substance from cuts that had appeared in his skin, or otherwise running in rivulet's down his arms.

Aside from lifting her arms, the Sorceress had yet to move from her position in front of her throne. She simply stared him, her sneer still twisting at her doll-like features, forming something rather ugly looking and intimidating.

"Little SeeD, is this all you have got?" She crooned at him in contempt before scoffing in his direction. "How simply boring."

Squall grit his teeth again and threw out a Thundara spell in retaliation while she was distracted with her taunts. She simply waved her hand in front of herself, though this time the spell bounced off a reflective surface that had formed in front of her and bounded back right at him. The SeeD barely had the mindset to drop to the floor and felt the electric charged energy as it passed overhead.

* * *

She could already tell that the fight had begun.

It had taken a while to manoeuvre through the crowd of angry citizens and the police and soldiers that filled the otherwise empty streets, but they'd managed to do so. Both she and Irvine blended in well with the people of Deling City, though she had been concerned that his hat would give him away as an out-of-towner. Fortunately it looked like plenty of people from Timber and even as far as Dollet had come to see the President's and the Sorceress' speech. They would go unnoticed.

She'd been a little more concerned that the police would stop them from reaching the gate, but it looked as though they had their hands full with the rioting civilians. It was the first thing that had gone right for them all night.

Rinoa reached the gate first, noting the car Squall had stolen was propped up against the iron bars, the passenger side of the vehicle scratched up from the collision. Just thinking about it brought back memories of the SeeDs seemingly reckless driving, and of his preferred method of swerving as he hit the brakes so hard and so suddenly he could do more damage to the suspension than anything else. Still, it appeared to be in working order and she catalogued the information for later. They would definitely need a means of escape and a set of wheels didn't seem like such a bad idea.

An instant later, she had been forced to the ground by Irvine as a blast of lightning shot from overhead. It would have hit the bars behind and fried her – she was close to the vicinity – had the sharpshooter not tackled her down and away. Her opinion of him rose up a notch and she found herself thinking that, maybe, he might prove useful after all.

It was the cowboy who pulled himself to his feet first, but Rinoa out ran him and reached the float before him. Ignoring his offer to help her up, she began to climb the side of the object much like a child on playground equipment. Every moment wasted meant less time for Squall, but thankfully he was still alive. That lightning attack had proved that he was still fighting.

When she'd climbed to the top, she saw the Sorceress throw out her hand and a blast of fire hurl towards Squall, who looked like he was getting ready to dodge. Not wanting to find out if he could out manoeuvre the Sorceress, the raven-haired girl drew in as much energy as she could muster before throwing it out in front of her, despite the precarious position she was in. Right before the blast could collide with the SeeD, a spear of ice rose up from the ground in front of him and took the blast in full force. The fire consumed the ice and both spells disappeared with only star-like particles as evidence of their presence.

The Sorceress cast a baleful glare in her direction that chilled her blood, even as she and Irvine pulled themselves up safely onto the platform. From the dark corner beside the Sorceress, Seifer was watching them, his fingers seemingly twitching as though gripping an invisible weapon. His presence did not surprise her and she forced herself to focus on the Sorceress. Squall, who had turned to see where the magic spell had come from, had looked surprised to see them for maybe a millisecond before the mask of neutrality covered it up. "What are you doing here?"

"You're welcome," Rinoa quipped sarcastically before stepping forward. The Sorceress, surprisingly, didn't take advantage of the distraction. It was almost like she had been toying with him. "Obviously, we're here to help."

"No use talkin' her outta it," Irvine drawled, tipping his hat forward. "Damn skull's as thick as yours. Might as well just accept tha help graciously. I'd reckon ya need it."

Rinoa realized he was right. While Seifer looked like he'd had a rough time of it, the Sorceress didn't even have a scratch on her. Either Squall wasn't able to get close enough to launch an attack, or she had barriers that prevented the gunblade from connecting at all. Selphie had told her about spells like those that were specialized for defence back in the Tomb of the Unknown King, though she still had yet to be able to cast any of them.

"And so the cavalry has arrived," the Sorceress crooned. Somehow Rinoa knew the woman was responsible for those creepy statue things chasing after her and she clenched her fists in the fight that was sure to follow. "At least you wisely know that you have no chance against me on your own."

There was no indication that her comment had made any effect on Squall, but she noticed that for an instant his hands had tightened their hold on the gunblade. Her frown deepened as she took in the meaning of those words, not liking their implications. She had known it would be a long shot to stand up against the Sorceress and, really, it was a miracle he had lasted this long to begin with, but her blood chilled all the more, despite how right she had been.

Before their interference, Squall had been on the verge of losing this fight.

Rinoa didn't know what to think about that. Ever since they'd met in Timber, Squall had been seemingly the strongest of the group. Not just physically, but he seemed able to come up with plans in the most impossible situation. He'd seen him recover from fighting Gerogero, and fending off the Brothers' GF and shortly after that Diablos, and even all the monsters and soldiers they'd fought in-between.

Despite knowing that it was impossible to take on the Sorceress, the thought of the SeeD losing a battle just seemed odd to her, weird even. She bit her lip in contemplation as she wondered, not for the first time, if this mission really was as hopeless as it seemed.

_No,_ a voice in the back of her head chastised. She and Irvine were there now to back him up. Between the three of them, the Sorceress was gonna be in for a world of hurt. Powers or no powers, she would _still_ have a hard time if all three of them attacked her.

As though Irvine and her minds were synchronized for the moment, each opened fire upon the Sorceress without even signalling to each other. Rinoa's Blaster Edge cut through the night air as it arced a line towards its target, impacting with the shield she had brought up with a loud _clank _before returning to her outstretched arm. Irvine faired about the same, though Rinoa was startled to see the Sorceress inch slightly to the right as though avoiding a projectile. Knowing it was not her weapon at fault, she wondered fleetingly if the sharpshooter had armour piercing rounds and why he hadn't thought to use them in that sniper rifle? That would have saved them from this predicament.

Not stopping to marvel at his handiwork, Irvine proceeded to open fire, reloading the firearm as Squall covered him with magic, forcing the Sorceress to alternate between protect and shell spells. Seemingly tired of staying on the defensive, the Sorceress launched spell in their direction after the pink shield finished forming around her. The blast of ice barrelled towards Irvine, seemingly the larger threat, but was intercepted by a fire ball that Squall threw between the two. The effects were instantaneous, and both the Fira and the Blizzard neutralized each other. For her part, Rinoa futilely continued to launch the Blaster Edge in the hopes that it might do something, but it only proved to annoy the Sorceress as the time passed.

But just as she was reloading her weapon and preparing for another attempt, Squall suddenly stepped in her path. Before she could protest she could sense Irvine's presence as he moved behind the Squad leader and, seconds later, Squall threw his palms out. Moments after that, a large and powerful wind swept across the platform speeding towards the Sorceress and her knight, much as it had against the Brothers GF in the Tomb of the Unknown King.

Once again, the Sorceress raised her hand in preparation of guarding against the spell and, suddenly Squall stretched his arms out at either side. Rinoa regarded him curiously, wondering why he had suddenly dispelled the attack, which slowed to a crawl and barely connected with the Sorceress' shell spell before it could be absorbed. But then Squall was charging forward, gunblade in hand and she suddenly understood that the magic attack had been a ruse, a means of getting the Sorceress to cast the wrong spell. The magic of the protect spell had worn off and now she was utterly defenseless. Now was their chance.

Following his lead, Rinoa raised the Blaster Edge once more as Irvine opened fire with his gun, both making sure to avoid Squall as he closed the distance between them. But just as he reached halfway, he was suddenly raised into the air, his feet no longer touching solid ground even if he flexed his toes. The next thing she knew, he was flying back the way he had come, hitting the platform hard and rolling onto his side.

Immediately Irvine and Rinoa stepped forward, blocking the Sorceress' path and covering Squall's recovery, unleashing their weapons almost at the same time while she wondered what kind of magic had the exotic looking woman used. But by then her defences had been restored and the pinwheel bounced off the protect spell just as Irvine's bullets were absorbed into it.

Instead of capitalizing on their predicament, however, the Sorceress leered at them, her eyes having gone cold. "You have reached the end."

* * *

Her tone betrayed her irritability with the fight. There was no meaning behind it. They meant to kill her, and yet they had no capacity to do so. They were incapable, _inferior_ in every way to her, and there was no point in allowing the battle to rage on when the victor was so obvious.

As she spoke, a blue energy pooled together in front of her before dispersing, causing the resonating magic to lash outward, tilting the flames of the torches in front of her forward though not extinguishing them. She wasn't just angry now. She was _furious_. Not only that, but she was _insulted_ that someone would have the gall to send such unworthy opponents to do what was obviously a man's task. She swore she would make such low-lives pay for their thoughtlessness.

She watched without amusement as she noted how the girl and the sharpshooter stood practically guarding the SeeD as he clumsily pulled himself off the floor, their weapons drawn in preparation of continuing this fight. Sneering at them all, she couldn't help but admire their determination and dedication to the mission but it was over. She had grown rather bored with the events and wished to move on. Amateurs had no business playing at a warrior's game and she would show them this meaning. The least her would-be-assassins could have done was prepared themselves better, but her patience had long since burned thin.

She raised her right hand slowly, watching as magic white cold curled up her legs and around her waist, curling around her chest before circling her arm and resting at her fingertips. The blue magic then took shape as her index and middle fingers stretched upwards, curling slightly as three spears of ice formed, suspended in mid-air. She paused a moment, taking in their presence before gently throwing her right arm in front of her, guiding them to her target.

* * *

At the sight of the magic pooling around the Sorceress' wrists, she tensed in preparation, knowing she would have to act quickly. Her first thought was to counter with a spell of her own, but as the particles surrounding the woman formed three ice spears tilted in their direction, she realized in horror that whatever spell she thought up would most definitely stop this attack. It coursed with a power that the raven-haired girl could not even begin to fathom.

Intimidated by the very sight, by how very _sharp _those crystalized shards of water appeared, Rinoa's mind went blank and she acted instinctively the moment they were launched their way. She dove forward, hitting the floor with a thud that echoed in her arms and stomach but she ignored it as she raised her heads up to cover her head and shut her eyes tightly, hoping against hope that she would get out of this alive. Checking to see if the guys had followed suit had not once crossed her mind.

They had accomplished nothing. Worse than nothing, they hadn't even been able to get close enough to actually _touch_ her, let alone hurt her. While Irvine had come the closest, it meant nothing at all if she didn't even have a simple scratch from the gunshots. Who had they been kidding? They'd tried to go after a woman who was wielding Hyne's power from crying out loud. A woman who could – and did – kick all their asses without so much a flexing an eyebrow or breaking a sweat.

Okay, so she was exaggerating, but Rinoa decided she had every right to embellish a little bit.

She bit her lip nervously, knowing that their only option was to retreat. They could jump into that car Squall had stolen earlier and regroup, possibly come up with a better plan. Something taped together within the span of a couple of hours was definitely _not_ going to cut it with this woman.

She waited for a long moment before she was brave enough to look up and around her. Those ice spears the Sorceress had thrown at them had missed her, and she was surprised to find she didn't even have a scratch. Thankful that her reflexes proved to have been invaluable, she looked to her right only to discover that Irvine was nowhere to be found. It was almost like he just disappeared while she wasn't looking.

Worry filled her as, for one fleeting moment, she wondered if the attack had killed him or knocked him off the float, she was disturbed when she heard a sudden strangled gasp. Again she thought it might have been Irvine but then she remembered that he had been practically beside her when the attack had been launched. Her blood ran cold with the only other reasonable explanation for the sound.

_No…_

Slowly, she turned around as though to prove her suspicions to be wrong. _The sound could've come from anyone, _she told herself stubbornly, though even she didn't believe herself as she finished the movement and investigated the source, only to stare in wide-eyed shock and devastation as she took in the sight.

Previous behind her, now in front of her, Squall was staring at the Sorceress, his eyes wider than normal, the pupils smaller than they should be normally. That was the first thing she'd taken in upon spying him, because any other expression aside from passive neutrality was a relatively rare sight to behold in his features. To see him betray so much immediately sent alarm bells to her brain. The pallor in his face was another reason for her concern, and the shock was frozen into his features, almost like it was carved into the face of a statue and, with a clatter that shattered the silence that enveloped them, the gunblade he'd had in his right hand hit the floor, having slipped from his grip.

But more important than the SeeD's loss of weapon, or even the shock that appeared to have dulled his senses, was the something else in his expression, the acknowledgement of pain that seemed to spring forth through his mind, through the slight grimace at the ends of his lips, betraying the only thing he must've been feeling at that moment.

And why shouldn't he have been in a tremendous amount of pain when one of the ice spears had pierced him right below his right shoulder?

"NO!" Rinoa cried out, allowing the word to spew from her lips without meaning to. The Sorceress was left forgotten, her hand still outstretched and pointed towards the SeeD across from her, almost as though surprised he hadn't exploded into thousands of pieces.

Blood fell from the corner of his mouth, an effect of his injury no doubt, and stained the carpet beneath his feet, his fingers twitching slightly, almost spasmodically against his hunched over form. His sleeves of his jacket, she realized now, had cuts all along them from his previous battle with the Sorceress, and the skin beneath was dark red with drying blood, completing the horrible image.

The Squad leader let out one last strangled gasp and seemed to blink back the pain before finally succumbing to his injuries, his arms falling to his sides. An instant later, gravity took over causing him to lean back and behind him.

That was when Rinoa realized how precariously close he was standing to the very edge of the platform.

She was already running forward when the revelation had hit her that she had to stop it before it was too late. Rinoa was no doctor and hadn't benefited from medical training like the SeeDs had, but she knew that if the spear hadn't killed him, then the fall – though the float wasn't _that_ far off the ground – certainly would finish him off.

She tried to bridge the gap between them, but by the time she'd started running, it was already too late and she could only watch helplessly as he fell over the edge and disappeared from sight. She called his name as she crashed hard against the wooden flooring, leaning over and reaching out as far as she could to grab him, to do something, _anything, _to stop him from falling and connecting with the hard concrete beneath them, even though she knew it was already too late to save him.

* * *

He'd barely managed to escape with his life.

When the Sorceress had created those ice spears, he'd known they were all in for it now, especially when he'd noted with grim acceptance that she had conjured up three – one for each of them. Still, when she actually _threw _it at them, he'd done what had come naturally and picked a direction before diving in order to prevent becoming a human shish kabob. But as luck would have it, to the right of him had been nothing but air before the concrete ground beneath them and as a result he'd been airborne for about half a second before he'd hit the ground with a hard _thud. _

For the very first time in his life, he wished he'd had a Guardian Force. At least then the fall wouldn't have hurt so damn bad.

Taking the time to blink the stars from his vision, Irvine attempted to process just what in Hyne's name had happened. When he figured it out, he realized that he'd gotten off pretty damn lucky for pulling such a ridiculously dumb stunt. For starters, her coulda landed on his neck, broken it and then what would that have meant for him? Life as a cripple? Death? He had no idea which one would've been worse.

Pushing those thoughts from his mind, he sighed as he realized just how far south the mission had gone. What a damned disaster. Their only option now was to retreat, hope that they didn't get caught by the soldiers standing around watching the show with their jaws on the floor and regroup with the others. It'd take a while before they could even hope to attempt this again and they'd have to lay low for the meantime and hope no one recognized them. And that's if their identities hadn't already been blown outta the water and Garden hadn't disavowed them all yet.

But hey, at least they were still alive. That was something to be thankful for, right?

Irvine scowled at himself as the thought crossed his mind. It was a cowardly thought but it was their only hope given the circumstances.

He was just clambering up onto his feet to find the other two and haul ass out of there when he heard another thud close by. Thinking that the others were already attempting their retreat, Irvine jogged towards where he'd heard the sound, intending on making some wisecrack if only to lighten the situation. It wasn't exactly called for but since when had that ever stopped him.

But as he circled around from the side, whatever commented he'd conjured in his mind died as he took in the sight. Something had fallen, not jumped, from the float above, and a body was laying on the ground, almost spread eagle, his head turned to the side and away from him. Blood pooled from beneath the prone body, staining the ground dark red as the ice spear dispersed into what looked to be a thousand particles leaving what could be presumed to be a rather large hole in his chest.

At a loss of what to say, Irvine returned back into the shadows behind him, removing his hat from the top of his head, and held it at chest level. If he'd been a flag, it would have been at half-mast in mourning at the sight. His breathing hitched somewhat but he managed to squash the gasp that threatened to wretch itself free of his throat and, quite possibly, expose his position. There was just no way in hell the SeeD survived, not with the amount of blood he'd lost, not with the trauma the wound would have caused. Add the fall to that, and it was pretty certain that Squall was not walking away from this.

He remembered fighting alongside the SeeD while inside the Tomb and even having to fend off against the monsters during the trip to and from. Just from these relatively few experiences the sharpshooter could tell that the Squad leader was made from some seriously strong stuff. It was very rare to meet a person like that in life, but this sight reminded the cowboy that no one was invincible. He wished to Hyne that there was some way the other teenager had survived, but realistically there was just no way that was possible.

The soldiers who had cordoned off the area from unwanted personnel had wisely backed away from the body before it could've landed on them. Irvine scowled at the thought, thinking that maybe if he'd landed on them, Squall might've had a chance still, despite his other injuries. But he couldn't fault them for the response, because he probably would've done the same if an enemy had almost fallen on them.

But then a black and blue blur practically flew off the float and appeared at Squall's side, and that was when he realized it was Rinoa. But just seconds after she had knelt beside him she was roughly grabbed by soldiers surrounding her. With a strength he wouldn't have thought she'd possessed, Rinoa fought her capturers, nails raking against arms and had helmet clad faces, even as she was dragged away. They forced her down onto her knees as she sobbed openly, calling for Squall to wake up, over and over again, seemingly not coming to terms with what had just happened.

Then there were more soldiers sectioning off the area, probably in the midst of setting up the perimeter. Regardless of their reasons, Irvine could no longer see what was going on, the only sign that there was anything happening at all was the sound of Rinoa's heartbreaking sobs as she struggled to be released. He couldn't even see Squall's body from the line of soldiers, but Irvine had yet to decide whether it was a blessing or a curse.

Irvine's first instinct was the run forward and shove the soldiers out of the way in order to reach the SeeD and see if there truly was something that could be done, regardless of how bleak his condition seemed. Then, there was the coward in him that was relieved he couldn't look at him anymore, because it reminded him what had caused this situation to begin with. The only thing that would have made matters worse was if he had had the image of Squall's lifeless face staring a hole in his head.

Somehow – he was unsure of how – he'd managed to regain some control over his composure, though his breathing still came to him in quick and uncontrolled spurts. Along with the panic that had taken root had been an uglier emotion, the red hot anger that made him want to find the General and pound the living shit out of him. It wouldn't change anything and he doubted he would feel better afterwards, but dammit he had to blame someone. The bastard had made it out that these last minute changes had been thought out perfectly, that everything had been considered and nothing could possibly go wrong. It was all supposed to be simple. Kill the Sorceress at all costs, even if the end result uncovered their identities. He hadn't said a damned thing about people dying all over the place, let alone their own.

A lot of it though was guilt on his part. Had he not wussed out at such a critical moment and taken the shot like he was supposed to, none of this would have ever happened. The Sorceress would be a rotting corpse by now, and they could go about their business. His stomach and curled at the thought, feeling like a decaying rotten thing and it was an effort to keep himself from throwing up at the thought.

But now was not the time to be wondering about what ifs. He struggled to calm himself down, knowing that there was still something he could possibly do to make things right again.

He wasn't thinking about climbing back up onto that float for round two. He wasn't stupid. He had no hopes of beating the Sorceress and knew he'd end up like Squall if he even tried. That, and the growing amount of soldiers that were surrounding the area told him that it would only end up getting him arrested anyhow. He assumed that was what was going to happen to Rinoa and brushed off any further thoughts. He didn't even wanna start considering what they were going to do with Squall.

He ducked deep into the shadows when he caught sight of two more soldiers entering the Gateway, stuffing his hat back up onto his head as he moved. His back was pressed up against the float, and looking up, he saw that the Sorceress was completely distracted by the ruckus Rinoa was causing. As badly as he felt for the girl, it made his chances of escape rise all the more.

His only option now was to somehow escape the Gateway, find the jackass General and report what had happened. Irvine knew Martine well enough to know that the asshole wasn't gonna do a damned thing. He'd disavow the team's actions and swear up and down he'd had nothing to do with it.

But there was the question of what he was going to do once he'd finished reporting to the General. He supposed he'd be sent back to Galbadia Garden while the bigwigs in Deling made all the decisions that were probably bound to get everyone else on the team killed. He didn't like the sound of that at all, much like he didn't like the idea of leaving everyone else behind to stew while he saved his own ass.

Then again, what use would he be if he got arrested too? Then they wouldn't even _have _a snowballs chance in hell of getting out.

Shaking his head of these thoughts, the sharpshooter focussed on the task at hand, concentrating on escaping his current predicament. The rest could come later. He didn't much like it, but it was going to have to do.

* * *

_TBC..._

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_And so ends the first book of my Final Fantasy 8 Novelization._

_Well, I hope you all enjoyed it, be it the parts I improved from the game, or just new stuff that brings light to certain characters. Also, I'm very well aware that the confrontation with Edea was short. It was intended that way, specifically because I don't think they were quite ready to take on a Sorceress at that point in time. Actually it wasn't until I was planning this fight scene that I learned you could actually lose against Edea and yet _still _progress with the story (I'd always thought you had to beat her or else it was game over)._

_Overall, I hope I didn't ruin this chapter with the last scene. Personally, I debated about just omitting it, but in the end I decided to add it anyway. Hopefully you all enjoy reading it. _

_Now unfortunately, you are all going to have to wait a little bit until I start posting the next part of this story, specifically because I want to get more chapters under my belt so I can continue with the speedy updates (once a week seems to be alright with you guys, right?). That and I have no clue what I'm gonna call it. Hopefully I'll come up with something soon._

_So until the next installment, leave a review, get a friend to read this story and have them leave a review. I always enjoy reading positive reviews or constructive criticism, and hopefully I'll have the next installment ready for you all to read._

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**Update: **_This is a notification to anyone who reaches the end of this final chapter, letting everyone know that the sequel to this part of the Novelization has been posted on this site as of June 4th, 2009 and is entitled _**Final Fantasy VIII: Requiem of Chaos**_**. **If you're interested, please go take a look and remember to review._


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